Method and system for periodic deep discharge to extract lithium in silicon-dominant anodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12562407-B2
Application number	US-202117231788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2021
Priority date	Apr 15, 2021
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A method for periodic deep discharge to extract lithium in silicon-dominant anodes may include providing a cell comprising a cathode, a separator, and a silicon-dominant anode; charging and discharging the cell through a plurality of cycles; and, following the plurality of cycles, performing one or more deep discharge cycles, where each of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a cutoff voltage below a normal operating voltage range of the cell. The one or more deep discharge cycles may comprise a C/10 or lower or C/20 or lower discharge current. The one or more deep discharge cycles may include a cutoff voltage of 3.2 V or less, a cutoff voltage of 2.5 V or less, a cutoff voltage of 1.5 V or less, or a cutoff voltage of 1 V or less. The cell may be configured at a higher temperature during the one or more deep discharge cycles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method of configuring battery performance, the method comprising:
providing a cell comprising a cathode, a separator, and a silicon-dominant anode; charging and discharging the cell through a plurality of cycles or through regular use that is equivalent to a plurality of cycles; and following the plurality of cycles or equivalent use, performing a capacity check cycle, wherein the capacity check cycle comprises one or both of charging at a charge rate below a normal charge rate, and discharging at a discharge rate below a normal discharge rate; and based on the capacity check cycle, performing one or more deep discharge cycles, wherein each of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises using a discharge cutoff voltage outside of a normal operating voltage range of the cell and then resuming operation, wherein the cell is discharged during at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles at a first discharge rate that is different from a second discharge rate used during normal operations, wherein the capacity check cycle is different from each of the one or more deep discharge cycles with respect to at least a minimum discharge cutoff voltage, and wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a C/10 or lower discharge current.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a C/20 or lower discharge current.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a cutoff voltage of 3.2 V or less.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a cutoff voltage of 2.5 V or less.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a cutoff voltage of 1.5 V or less.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a cutoff voltage of 1 V or less.

7 . The method of claim 1 , comprising configuring the cell at a temperature of 30° C. or higher during at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles.

8 . The method of claim 1 , comprising configuring the cell at a temperature of 40° C. or higher during at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles.

9 . The method of claim 1 , comprising configuring at least one of the deep discharge cycle using a battery management system.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the battery management system is integrated with the cell.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the battery management system is external to the cell.

12 . The method of claim 1 , comprising performing the one or more deep discharge cycles periodically.

13 . A method of configuring battery performance, the method comprising:
providing a cell comprising a cathode, a separator, and a silicon-dominant anode; charging and discharging the cell through a plurality of cycles or through regular use where the usage is equivalent to a plurality of cycles; and following the plurality of cycles or equivalent use, performing a capacity check cycle, wherein the capacity check cycle comprises one or both of charging at a charge rate below a normal charge rate, and discharging at a discharge rate below a normal discharge rate; and based on the capacity check cycle, performing one or more deep discharge cycles, wherein each of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a discharge cutoff voltage outside of a normal operating voltage range of the cell and a cell temperature configured above room temperature and then resuming operation where the cell is allowed to discharge to a shallower depth of discharge; wherein the cell is discharged during at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles at a first discharge rate that is different from a second discharge rate used during normal operations; and wherein the capacity check cycle is different from each of the one or more deep discharge cycles with respect to at least a minimum discharge cutoff voltage; and wherein performing at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises using a voltage taper after the cell reaches a particular cutoff voltage, and wherein the voltage taper is applied until a current discharged from the cell reaches a pre-determined end of taper C-rate based value.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein performing the at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles further comprises controlling a temperature of the cell, the controlling comprising setting the temperature to a predetermined value during at least a portion of the voltage taper.

15 . A method of configuring battery performance, the method comprising:
providing a cell comprising a cathode, a separator, and a silicon-dominant anode; charging and discharging the cell through a plurality of cycles or through regular use that is equivalent to a plurality of cycles; and following the plurality of cycles or equivalent use, performing a capacity check cycle, wherein the capacity check cycle comprises one or both of charging at a charge rate below a normal charge rate, and discharging at a discharge rate below a normal discharge rate; and based on the capacity check cycle, performing one or more deep discharge cycles, wherein each of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises using a discharge cutoff voltage outside of a normal operating voltage range of the cell and then resuming operation, wherein the cell is discharged during at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles at a first discharge rate that is different from a second discharge rate used during normal operations, wherein the capacity check cycle is different from each of the one or more deep discharge cycles with respect to at least a minimum discharge cutoff voltage, and wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycle comprises a taper where the cell is held at the discharge cutoff voltage until the discharge current decreases to C/20.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a C/20 or lower discharge current.

17 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a cutoff voltage of 3.2 V or less.

18 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a cutoff voltage of 2.5 V or less.

19 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a cutoff voltage of 1.5 V or less.

20 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles comprises a cutoff voltage of 1 V or less.

21 . The method of claim 15 , comprising configuring the cell at a temperature of 30° C. or higher during at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles.

22 . The method of claim 15 , comprising configuring the cell at a temperature of 40° C. or higher during at least one of the one or more deep discharge cycles.

23 . The method of claim 15 , comprising configuring at least one of the deep discharge cycle using a battery management system.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the battery management system is integrated with the cell.

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the battery management system

Assignees

• Enevate Corp

Inventors

• Zhao Hong
• Park Benjamin

Classifications

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/386

  Silicon or alloys based on silicon · CPC title

• H01M2010/4271

  Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing · CPC title