Method for predicting battery charge limit, and method and apparatus for rapidly charging battery using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10605870-B2
Application number	US-201615574356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2016
Priority date	Aug 18, 2015
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

Provided are a method of predicting a battery charge limit not to cause lithium (Li)-plating, and a battery charging method and apparatus capable of quickly charging a battery based on the battery charge limit. A battery charge limit prediction method according to the present disclosure includes (a) fabricating a three-electrode cell including a unit cell and a reference electrode, (b) measuring a negative electrode potential (CCV) based on a state of charge (SOC) while charging the three-electrode cell, and (c) determining a point at which the negative electrode potential is not dropped but starts to be constant, as a lithium (Li)-plating occurrence point, and setting the Li-plating occurrence point as a charge limit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery charge limit prediction method comprising:
(a) fabricating a three-electrode cell comprising a unit cell and a reference electrode;
(b) measuring a negative electrode potential (CCV) based on a state of charge (SOC) while charging the three-electrode cell at a charging rate; and
(c) determining a point at which the negative electrode potential is not dropped but starts to be constant, as a lithium (Li)-plating occurrence point, and setting the Li-plating occurrence point as a charge limit,
wherein the point is an inflection point of a negative electrode potential gradient based on the SOC, and
wherein the charging rate is reduced to a subsequent charging rate when the charge limit is reached during charging.

2. The battery charge limit prediction method of claim 1 , wherein charge limits at different charging rates are obtained by repeatedly performing the operations (b) and (c) at the charging rates and a charging protocol is obtained by combining the charge limits.

3. A battery charging method for charging a battery by:
(a) fabricating a three-electrode cell comprising a unit cell and a reference electrode;
(b) measuring a negative electrode potential (CCV) based on a state of charge (SOC) while charging the three-electrode cell at a charging rate; and
(c) setting a point at which a negative electrode potential of a battery is not dropped but starts to be constant at an initial charging rate higher than 1C, as a lithium (Li)-plating occurrence point, setting the Li-plating occurrence point as a charge limit, and reducing the charging rate in a stepwise manner when the charge limit is reached,
wherein the point is an inflection point of a negative electrode potential gradient based on the SOC.

4. The battery charging method of claim 3 , wherein the initial charging rate is 1.5C to 5C.

5. The battery charging method of claim 3 , wherein the charging rate is reduced to a subsequent charging rate when the charge limit is reached during charging, and charging is performed until a state of charge (SOC) of the battery is 80%.

6. A battery charging method comprising:
acquiring data by measuring a negative electrode potential based on a state of charge (SOC) at different charging rates in a test of a three-electrode cell comprising a unit cell and a reference electrode;
obtaining a protocol for changing a charging rate in a stepwise manner by determining a point at which the negative electrode potential is not dropped but starts to be constant, as a lithium (Li)-plating occurrence point, and setting the Li-plating occurrence point as a charge limit;
reducing the charging rate in a stepwise manner when the charge limit is reached; and
charging a battery based on the protocol,
wherein the point is an inflection point of a negative electrode potential gradient based on the SOC.

7. The battery charging method of claim 6 , wherein the charging rates used to acquire the data range from 0.25C to 5C.

8. The battery charging method of claim 6 , wherein the protocol comprises an initial charging rate higher than 1C.

9. The battery charging method of claim 6 , wherein the protocol comprises an initial charging rate of 1.5C to 5C.

10. The battery charging method of claim 6 , wherein the protocol comprises charging voltage information after charging at each charging rate.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hyo-Mi
• Lee Hyeok-Moo
• Oh Song-Taek
• Lee Sol-Nip

Classifications

• H02J7/00 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• G01R31/387

  Determining ampere-hour charge capacity or SoC · CPC title

• H01M10/425

  Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00) · CPC title

• G01R31/36

  Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC] · CPC title

• H01M10/44

  Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title