Method and system for characterizing battery cells for use in battery packs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9519028-B2
Application number	US-201313962681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2013
Priority date	Aug 8, 2013
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A system and method for use characterizing battery cells. Charging and/or discharging characteristics for each of a plurality of battery cells may be determined, the battery cells may be marked based on the determined charging and/or discharging characteristics, and grouped based on the marking—e.g., such as battery cells having similar or near similar charging and/or discharging characteristics are grouped together. Battery packs may then be assembled such that each battery pack would comprise only battery cells belonging to the same group (or “in-family”). The charging characterization may be based on voltage rise curve, which may be determined for each battery cell—e.g., based on sampling or recording during charging, at sufficient rate. Battery cells may subsequently be monitored, during use of the battery packs, to ensure that the charging or discharging does not change, and battery cells exhibiting change in characteristics may be manually or automatically removed from use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
determining voltage charge characteristics for a plurality of rechargeable cells;
classifying the plurality of rechargeable cells based on the determined voltage charge characteristics, wherein the voltage charge characteristics are determined during charging or recharging;
combining in each multi-cell battery built using the plurality of rechargeable cells, only cells with matching classification; and
by-passing one or more of the plurality of rechargeable cells determined to deviate from a charge profile and/or a discharge profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rechargeable cells comprise lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising classifying the plurality of rechargeable cells manually or automatically.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising classifying the plurality of rechargeable cells based on having identical one or more of the voltage charge characteristics.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising allowing for predefined variation in one or more of the voltage charge characteristics when classifying the plurality of rechargeable cells based on the voltage charge characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining based on cell type, when classifying the plurality of rechargeable cells based on the voltage charge characteristics, whether to require identical matching or acceptable variation.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the voltage charge characteristics comprise a voltage change during charging or recharging of a corresponding rechargeable cell.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising determining the voltage rise curve by sampling or recording cell voltage at a predefined rate.

9. The method of claim 7 , comprising classifying the plurality of rechargeable cells based on having identical voltage rise curve.

10. A system, comprising:
one or more circuits for use in an electronic device, the one or more circuits being operable to:
determine voltage charge characteristics for a plurality of rechargeable cells;
classify the plurality of rechargeable cells based on the determined voltage charge characteristics, to enable combining in each multi-cell battery built using the plurality of rechargeable cells only cells with matching classification, wherein the voltage charge characteristics are determined during charging or recharging; and
by-pass one or more of the plurality of rechargeable cells determined to deviate from a charge profile and/or a discharge profile.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of rechargeable cells comprise lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to classify the plurality of rechargeable cells based on having identical one or more of the voltage charge characteristics.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to allow for predefined variation in one or more of the voltage charge characteristics when classifying the plurality of rechargeable cells based on the voltage charge characteristics.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to determine based on cell type, when classifying the plurality of rechargeable cells based on the voltage charge characteristics, whether to require identical matching or acceptable variation.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the voltage charge characteristics comprise a voltage change during charging or recharging of a corresponding rechargeable cell.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to classify the plurality of rechargeable cells based on having identical voltage rise curve.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to determine the voltage rise curve based on sampling or recording cell voltage at a predefined rate.

18. A method, comprising:
in a multi-cell battery that comprises a plurality of rechargeable cells with similar charge profile and/or discharge profile:
monitoring charging and/or discharging of each of the plurality of rechargeable cells;
determining, based on the monitoring of charging and/or discharging, when one or more of the plurality of rechargeable cells deviate from the charge profile and/or discharge profile; and
by-passing one or more of the plurality of rechargeable cells determined to deviate from the charge profile and/or the discharge profile.

19. The method of claim 18 , comprising monitoring the charging and/or discharging of each of the plurality of rechargeable cells based on determining of voltage rise or fall rate for corresponding cell.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Greenberg Melvin Barry

Classifications

• Y10T29/49108

  Electric battery cell making · CPC title

• H01M10/4207

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• G01R31/3641 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• H01M10/0525

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

• G01R31/3865 Primary

  related to manufacture, e.g. testing after manufacture · CPC title