Reference electrode diagnostic device and method

Abstract

A reference electrode diagnostic device according to one aspect of the disclosure includes a charging and discharging unit configured to charge and discharge a battery, a measurement unit configured to measure a capacity and a charging voltage of a working electrode during a charging process of the battery and to measure a capacity and a discharging voltage of the working electrode during a discharging process of the battery, and a control unit configured to calculate a voltage difference between the charging voltage and the discharging voltage for each capacity, compare a plurality of the calculated voltage differences with a preset threshold, and diagnose a state of a reference electrode based on a comparison result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0166996, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 21, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This disclosure relates to a reference electrode diagnostic apparatus and method for diagnosing the state of a reference electrode in a three-electrode cell. Background Technology

[0003] Recently, demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, cameras, and mobile phones has increased dramatically, and electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, and satellites have been vigorously developed. Therefore, high-performance batteries that allow for repeated charging and discharging are being actively researched.

[0004] Currently available batteries include nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), nickel-zinc (NiZn), and lithium-ion batteries. Among them, lithium-ion batteries have attracted much attention due to their virtually non-existent memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, as well as their very low self-discharge rate and high energy density.

[0005] While much research is underway to increase the capacity and density of these batteries, improving their lifespan and safety is also crucial. To enhance battery safety, technology is needed to accurately diagnose the battery's condition.

[0006] Typically, a three-electrode cell is used to obtain a reference indicator for diagnosing the state of a battery. A three-electrode cell is a battery cell that includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a reference electrode. Because a three-electrode cell allows for individual measurement of the potential change at each electrode in the battery, it is primarily used for precise and specific analysis of battery performance and degradation.

[0007] Specifically, the reference electrode for the three-electrode monomer is primarily a lithium titanium oxide (LTO) electrode, which possesses excellent electrochemical properties. The LTO electrode offers high stability, reducing the risk of overheating and fire. Furthermore, the LTO electrode exhibits minimal volume change during charging and discharging, ensuring high structural stability and supporting high-speed charging and discharging. In addition, the LTO electrode operates stably even at low voltages, enabling precise analysis of the potential difference using the three-electrode monomer.

[0008] However, as cycling continues, the reference electrode also deteriorates, and if a deteriorated reference electrode is used, the measured positive and negative electrode potentials become unreliable. Therefore, a method is needed to ensure the reliability of the reference indicator based on the 3-electrode unit by accurately diagnosing the condition of the reference electrode. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical issues

[0010] This disclosure is designed to address the problems of the related art, and therefore aims to provide a reference electrode diagnostic apparatus and method for diagnosing the state of a reference electrode in a 3-electrode cell.

[0011] These and other objects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description and will become even more fully apparent from exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Moreover, it will be readily understood that the objects and advantages of this disclosure can be achieved by the means and combinations thereof as shown in the appended claims.

[0012] Technical solution

[0013] A reference electrode diagnostic apparatus according to one aspect of this disclosure may include: a charging and discharging unit configured to charge and discharge a battery; a measuring unit configured to measure the capacity and charging voltage of a working electrode during the charging process of the battery, and to measure the capacity and discharging voltage of the working electrode during the discharging process of the battery; and a control unit configured to calculate the voltage difference between the charging voltage and the discharging voltage for each capacity, compare the calculated multiple voltage differences with preset thresholds, and diagnose the state of the reference electrode based on the comparison results.

[0014] The control unit can be configured to compare the magnitude of each of a plurality of voltage differences with a threshold, and diagnose the state of the reference electrode based on the comparison results of the magnitudes of each of the plurality of voltage differences.

[0015] The control unit can be configured to diagnose the state of the reference electrode as abnormal when at least one of a plurality of voltage differences is less than a threshold.

[0016] The control unit can be configured to diagnose the state of the reference electrode as normal when all voltage differences among a plurality of voltage differences are greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0017] The control unit can be configured to determine a target voltage difference among multiple voltage differences in each of multiple charge and discharge cycles in multiple charge and discharge cycles of the battery, compare multiple target voltage differences with a threshold, and determine the abnormal occurrence cycle of the reference electrode based on the comparison results.

[0018] The control unit can be configured to determine the target voltage difference as the lowest voltage difference among a plurality of voltage differences.

[0019] The control unit can be configured to identify the earliest charge and discharge cycle in which the target voltage difference is less than a threshold among multiple charge and discharge cycles as the abnormal occurrence cycle.

[0020] The control unit can be configured to identify the earliest charging and discharging cycle in a series of consecutive charging and discharging cycles as the abnormal occurrence cycle when the corresponding target voltage difference in a series of consecutive charging and discharging cycles is less than a threshold.

[0021] The control unit can be configured to identify the abnormal occurrence cycle for a number of consecutive charge and discharge cycles exceeding a preset reference number among multiple charge and discharge cycles.

[0022] The threshold can be configured to be approximately 0 by default.

[0023] A reference electrode diagnostic method according to another aspect of this disclosure may include: a voltage difference calculation step, which calculates a voltage difference between a charging voltage and a discharging voltage for each capacity based on the capacity and charging voltage of the working electrode measured during the charging process of the battery and the capacity and discharging voltage of the working electrode measured during the discharging process of the battery; a comparison step, which compares the calculated multiple voltage differences with preset thresholds; and a diagnostic step, which diagnoses the state of the reference electrode based on the comparison results.

[0024] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable recording medium may store a computer program for performing a reference electrode diagnostic method according to one aspect of this disclosure.

[0025] Beneficial effects

[0026] The reference electrode diagnostic device according to one aspect of this disclosure has the advantage of diagnosing the state of the reference electrode itself in a battery.

[0027] In particular, the reference electrode diagnostic device has the advantage of being able to more rigorously diagnose the state of the reference electrode by comparing all the multiple voltage differences of the working electrode with a threshold value.

[0028] The effects of this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art based on the description of the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the foregoing disclosure, serve to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure; therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a reference electrode diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the charging and discharging curves of the working electrode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating voltage curves according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 4 The accompanying drawings are schematic illustrations of a reference electrode diagnostic method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Before the description, it should be understood that the terms used in the specification and appended claims should not be construed as limited to their general and dictionary meanings, but rather interpreted based on their meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical aspects of this disclosure, on the basis of the principle that the inventors are allowed to define the terms appropriately for the best interpretation.

[0035] Therefore, the description presented herein is merely the best preferred example for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. It should be understood that other equivalents and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0036] Furthermore, in interpreting this disclosure, if a detailed description of a relevant known structure or function is deemed likely to obscure the essential points of this disclosure, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0037] Ordinal terms such as “first” and “second” can be used to distinguish one element from another among the various elements, but are not intended to limit the elements by the terms.

[0038] Throughout this specification, when a section is referred to as “comprising” or “including” any element, it means that the section may further include other elements without excluding them, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0039] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when one part is referred to as "connected" to another part, this is not limited to the case where they are "directly connected," but also includes the case where they are "indirectly connected" by another element inserted between them.

[0040] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a reference electrode diagnostic apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] refer to Figure 1 The reference electrode diagnostic device 100 may include a charging and discharging unit 110, a measurement unit 120, and a control unit 130.

[0043] The charging and discharging unit 110 can be configured to charge and discharge the battery.

[0044] Here, the battery can be a three-electrode cell including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a reference electrode.

[0045] Specifically, the charging and discharging unit 110 can charge and discharge the positive and / or negative electrodes included in the three-electrode unit. For example, when the charging and discharging unit 110 charges and discharges the positive electrode, the working electrode is positive and the counter electrode is negative. Conversely, when the charging and discharging unit 110 charges and discharges the negative electrode, the working electrode is negative and the counter electrode is positive. The reference electrode is used as a standard for measuring potential when the positive or negative electrode is charged and discharged.

[0046] Below, for ease of explanation, an embodiment in which the working electrode is a negative electrode and the counter electrode is a positive electrode is described. However, it should be noted that the embodiment in which the working electrode is a positive electrode is not particularly limited to this limiting embodiment.

[0047] The measurement unit 120 can be configured to measure the capacity and charging voltage of the working electrode during the battery charging process. Additionally, the measurement unit 120 can be configured to measure the capacity and discharging voltage of the working electrode during the battery discharging process.

[0048] Specifically, the measuring unit 120 is electrically connected to the working electrode, counter electrode, and reference electrode of the battery, and can measure the capacity and voltage of the working electrode during the charging and discharging process.

[0049] For example, the measurement unit 120 can measure the charging voltage and charging current of the negative electrode during charging, and measure the charging capacity based on the measured charging current. Additionally, the measurement unit 120 can measure the discharging voltage and discharging current of the negative electrode during discharging, and measure the discharging capacity based on the measured discharging current.

[0050] For example, the measuring unit 120 can measure the charging voltage of the negative electrode according to a predetermined voltage measuring cycle, and measure the capacity of the negative electrode according to a predetermined current measuring cycle. Additionally, the measuring unit 120 can measure the discharge voltage of the negative electrode according to a predetermined voltage measuring cycle, and measure the capacity of the negative electrode according to a predetermined current measuring cycle. Preferably, the voltage measuring cycle and the current measuring cycle can be set to be the same, and the voltage and capacity can be measured at the same time.

[0051] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the charge and discharge curves of the working electrode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 2 This is a graph illustrating the charging curve Pc and the discharging curve Pd of the negative electrode. Here, the charging curve Pc and the discharging curve Pd can be represented as an XY curve graph, where the X-axis is represented by capacity and the Y-axis by voltage.

[0052] exist Figure 2 In this embodiment, the measuring unit 120 measures the capacity and charging voltage of the working electrode until the capacity of the working electrode reaches a second capacity Qf from a first capacity Qi. Additionally, the measuring unit 120 measures the capacity and discharging voltage of the working electrode until the capacity of the working electrode reaches a first capacity Qi from the second capacity Qf.

[0053] The measuring unit 120 can be connected to the control unit 130 via wired and / or wireless means for communication. The measuring unit 120 can transmit information about the voltage and capacity of the measuring working electrode to the control unit 130.

[0054] The control unit 130 can be configured to calculate the voltage difference between the charging voltage and the discharging voltage for each capacity.

[0055] Specifically, the control unit 130 can calculate the voltage difference between the charging voltage and the discharging voltage of the same capacity.

[0056] Typically, during charging, the working electrode accepts electrons, and during discharging, it releases electrons. Normally, the charging voltage is lower than the open circuit voltage (OCV) due to overvoltage, and the discharging voltage is higher than the OCV due to overvoltage. That is, since the discharging voltage of the working electrode is greater than the charging voltage, the control unit 130 can calculate the "discharging voltage - charging voltage" formula to derive the voltage difference for each capacity.

[0057] For example, in Figure 2 In this embodiment, the k-th discharge voltage corresponding to the k-th capacity Qk is Vdk, and the k-th charging voltage is Vck. The control unit 130 can calculate the difference between the k-th discharge voltage Vdk and the k-th charging voltage Vck, thereby deriving the k-th voltage difference Vk.

[0058] Control unit 130 can calculate the voltage difference for each capacity from the first capacity Qi to the second capacity Qf. (Reference) Figure 2 The voltage difference calculated by the control unit 130 for each capacity can be expressed as a voltage difference curve Pv. Specifically, the voltage difference curve Pv represents the correspondence between capacity and voltage difference.

[0059] The control unit 130 can be configured to compare calculated voltage differences with a preset threshold TH.

[0060] Specifically, the control unit 130 can be configured to compare the magnitude of each of a plurality of voltage differences with a threshold TH.

[0061] Here, the threshold TH is a reference value used to diagnose the state of the reference electrode, and it can be preset experimentally or theoretically.

[0062] For example, the threshold TH can be configured to be a value greater than or equal to 0. Preferably, the threshold TH can be preset to 0 or a positive value close to 0. More preferably, the threshold TH can be preset to 0.

[0063] When the working electrode is charged and discharged, the charging voltage of the working electrode can be higher than or equal to the discharging voltage at the same SOC (State of Charge). During the charging process of the working electrode, the electrode potential increases (moves in the positive direction), and during the discharging process, the electrode potential decreases (moves in the negative direction). Therefore, the voltage difference between the charging voltage and the discharging voltage of the working electrode (charging voltage - discharging voltage) is greater than or equal to 0. Therefore, the threshold TH, used as a standard for diagnosing the state of the reference electrode, can be set to a value greater than or equal to 0.

[0064] The above has described an embodiment in which the threshold TH is specified as 0; however, it should be noted that the threshold TH is not limited to this embodiment and can be set experimentally or theoretically.

[0065] The control unit 130 can be configured to diagnose the state of the reference electrode based on the comparison results.

[0066] Specifically, the control unit 130 can be configured to diagnose the state of the reference electrode based on a comparison of the magnitudes of each of the plurality of voltage differences. More specifically, the control unit 130 can determine, based on the comparison results, whether the plurality of voltage differences are greater than or equal to a threshold TH or whether at least one of the plurality of voltage differences is less than the threshold TH.

[0067] For example, control unit 130 can be configured to diagnose the state of the reference electrode as abnormal if at least one of the plurality of voltage differences is less than a threshold TH. As another example, control unit 130 can be configured to diagnose the state of the reference electrode as normal if all of the plurality of voltage differences are greater than or equal to the threshold TH.

[0068] Here, an abnormal state refers to a condition where the reference electrode deteriorates and cannot properly perform its role as the reference electrode in a three-electrode cell. When the reference electrode is in an abnormal state, its potential fluctuates, causing the working electrode potential to become inaccurate. Furthermore, if the reference electrode becomes unstable, the redox potential may appear different from the actual value, which can lead to serious errors when analyzing the electrochemical characteristics of the battery.

[0069] The reference electrode diagnostic apparatus 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure has the advantage of diagnosing the state of the reference electrode itself based on the charging voltage difference and discharging voltage difference of the working electrode. In particular, the reference electrode diagnostic apparatus 100 can more rigorously diagnose the state of the reference electrode by comparing all of the multiple voltage differences of the working electrode with a threshold TH.

[0070] Meanwhile, the control unit 130 included in the reference electrode diagnostic device 100 may optionally include processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, communication modems, data processing devices, etc., known in the art, to execute the various control logics performed in this disclosure. Furthermore, when the control logic is implemented as software, the control unit 130 can be implemented as a set of program modules. In this case, the program modules can be stored in memory and executed by the control unit 130. The memory can be internal or external to the control unit 130 and can be connected to the control unit 130 through various known devices.

[0071] Additionally, the reference electrode diagnostic device 100 may also include a storage unit 140. The storage unit 140 may store data required for the operation and function of each component of the reference electrode diagnostic device 100, data generated during the execution of operations or functions, etc. The type of storage unit 140 is not particularly limited, as long as it is a known information storage device capable of recording, erasing, updating, and retrieving data. As examples, the information storage device may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, registers, etc. Furthermore, the storage unit 140 may store program code that defines the processes that can be executed by each component of the reference electrode diagnostic device 100.

[0072] The storage unit 140 can store information about the voltage and capacity of the working electrode measured by the measurement unit 120. Additionally, the control unit 130 can access the storage unit 140 to obtain information about the voltage and capacity of the working electrode.

[0073] The control unit 130 can be configured to determine a target voltage difference among multiple voltage differences in each of multiple charge and discharge cycles of the battery.

[0074] In other words, the control unit 130 can diagnose the state of the reference electrode not only based on the voltage difference measured in one charge and discharge cycle, but also based on the voltage difference measured in multiple charge and discharge cycles.

[0075] First, the control unit 130 can determine a target voltage difference for each of the multiple charge and discharge cycles. Here, the target voltage difference for each charge and discharge cycle can be determined as one of a plurality of voltage differences generated in the corresponding charge and discharge cycle.

[0076] For example, the control unit 130 can be configured to determine the target voltage difference as the lowest voltage difference among a plurality of voltage differences. That is, the control unit 130 can select the lowest voltage difference among a plurality of voltage differences for each charge and discharge cycle, and determine the selected lowest voltage difference as the target voltage difference for the corresponding charge and discharge cycle.

[0077] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a voltage curve Pt according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 The voltage curve Pt can be represented as an XY curve, where the X-axis represents the cycle and the Y-axis represents the voltage. Here, voltage refers to the target voltage difference (minimum voltage difference) for each charge and discharge cycle.

[0078] exist Figure 3 In one embodiment, the working electrode of the battery is charged and discharged from the Ci cycle to the Cf cycle, and the target voltage difference of the working electrode in each charge and discharge cycle can be confirmed to be recorded.

[0079] The control unit 130 can be configured to compare multiple target voltage differences with a threshold TH.

[0080] Specifically, the control unit 130 can determine whether there is a value less than the threshold TH among the multiple target voltage differences by comparing the multiple target voltage differences included in the voltage curve Pt with a preset threshold TH.

[0081] Preferably, the control unit 130 can sequentially compare the magnitude of the target voltage difference with the threshold TH for multiple charge and discharge cycles to identify charge and discharge cycles in which multiple target voltage differences first become less than the threshold TH.

[0082] For example, control unit 130 can compare the target voltage difference of the first charge and discharge cycle with a threshold TH. If the first target voltage difference is greater than or equal to the threshold TH, control unit 130 can compare the target voltage difference of the second charge and discharge cycle with the threshold TH.

[0083] exist Figure 3 In one embodiment, the control unit 130 may sequentially compare the target voltage difference of the Ci charging and discharging cycles with a threshold TH. Then, the control unit 130 may determine that the target voltage difference of the Cs charging and discharging cycles is less than the threshold TH.

[0084] The control unit 130 can be configured to determine the abnormal occurrence cycle of the reference electrode based on the comparison results.

[0085] Specifically, the control unit 130 can be configured to identify the earliest charging and discharging cycle in which the target voltage difference is less than the threshold TH among a plurality of charging and discharging cycles as the abnormal occurrence cycle.

[0086] More specifically, if the reference electrode is normal, the voltage difference at the working electrode has a value greater than or equal to a threshold (e.g., 0). In other words, if the voltage difference at the working electrode is less than the threshold, it can be said that an anomaly has occurred in the reference electrode. Therefore, the control unit 130 can diagnose that an anomaly has occurred in the reference electrode during multiple charge and discharge cycles in which the discharge voltage is lower than the charging voltage.

[0087] exist Figure 3 In this embodiment, since the target voltage difference during the Cs charging and discharging cycle is less than the threshold TH, the control unit 130 can diagnose that an anomaly has occurred in the reference electrode during the Cs charging and discharging cycle. In other words, the control unit 130 can determine the Cs charging and discharging cycle as an abnormal cycle in which the reference electrode is experiencing an anomaly.

[0088] The reference electrode diagnostic apparatus 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure has the advantage that it can not only determine when an abnormality has occurred in the reference electrode, but also specify the abnormality occurrence cycle of the reference electrode by taking into account the target voltage difference of multiple charge and discharge cycles. In other words, since the time point at which an abnormality occurs in the reference electrode can be specified according to the reference electrode diagnostic apparatus 100, the reliability of the three-electrode single-cell data generated using the reference electrode can be ensured.

[0089] In another embodiment, the control unit 130 may be configured to identify the earliest charging and discharging cycle in a series of charging and discharging cycles as the abnormal occurrence cycle when the corresponding multiple target voltage differences in a series of charging and discharging cycles are less than a threshold TH.

[0090] Specifically, the control unit 130 can determine an abnormality cycle when the target voltage difference is less than the threshold TH during consecutive charging and discharging cycles in multiple charging and discharging cycles.

[0091] Suppose that the target voltage difference is calculated to be less than a threshold TH only in specific charge and discharge cycles due to unexpected noise such as voltage measurement noise or data communication errors. In this case, there is a problem that the state of the reference electrode is diagnosed as an abnormal state due to noise, and the corresponding charge and discharge cycle is determined to be an abnormality occurrence cycle of the reference electrode. Therefore, the control unit 130 can also consider the continuity of charge and discharge cycles in which the target voltage difference is less than the threshold TH in order to more rigorously determine the abnormality occurrence cycle of the reference electrode.

[0092] More specifically, the control unit 130 can be configured to determine an abnormal occurrence cycle for a number of consecutive charge and discharge cycles exceeding a preset reference number in a plurality of charge and discharge cycles.

[0093] exist Figure 3 In this embodiment, the Cs charging and discharging cycle to the Cd charging and discharging cycle is a continuous charging and discharging cycle, and the corresponding target voltage difference is less than the threshold TH. Furthermore, the Cs charging and discharging cycle to the Cd charging and discharging cycle is a reference of R or more consecutive charging and discharging cycles. In this case, the control unit 130 can determine the Cs charging and discharging cycle as an abnormal occurrence cycle of the reference electrode.

[0094] Typically, the three-electrode cell data after an abnormality cycle of the reference electrode is unreliable and therefore cannot be used as a standard indicator for diagnosing the state of a battery cell. In such cases, the three-electrode cell data from charge and discharge cycles following the abnormality cycle can be discarded. Therefore, the reference electrode diagnostic apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of this disclosure has the advantage of improving the reliability of the three-electrode cell data by more rigorously determining the abnormality cycle and preventing the unnecessary discarding of the three-electrode cell data.

[0095] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a reference electrode diagnostic method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] refer to Figure 4 The reference electrode diagnostic method may include a charging and discharging step (S100), a measurement step (S200), a voltage difference calculation step (S300), a comparison step (S400), and a diagnostic step (S500).

[0097] Preferably, each step of the reference electrode diagnostic method can be performed by the reference electrode diagnostic device 100. In the following text, for ease of explanation, content overlapping with the previously described content will be briefly described or omitted.

[0098] The charging and discharging step (S100) is a step of charging and discharging the battery, and can be performed by the charging and discharging unit 110.

[0099] For example, the charging and discharging unit 110 can charge and discharge the working electrodes of the battery.

[0100] The measurement step (S200) is a step of measuring the capacity and charging voltage of the working electrode during battery charging, and measuring the capacity and discharging voltage of the working electrode during battery discharging, and can be performed by the measurement unit 120.

[0101] For example, the measurement unit 120 can measure the charging voltage and charging current of the working electrode during charging, and measure the charging capacity based on the measured charging current. Additionally, the measurement unit 120 can measure the discharging voltage and discharging current of the working electrode during discharging, and measure the discharging capacity based on the measured discharging current.

[0102] The voltage difference calculation step (S300) is a step that calculates the voltage difference between the charging voltage and the discharging voltage for each capacity, and can be executed by the control unit 130.

[0103] Specifically, the control unit 130 can calculate the voltage difference between the charging voltage and the discharging voltage for the same capacity. Typically, since the discharging voltage of the working electrode is greater than the charging voltage, the control unit 130 can calculate the voltage difference for each capacity using the formula "discharging voltage - charging voltage".

[0104] The comparison step (S400) is a step of comparing the calculated multiple voltage differences with a preset threshold TH, and can be executed by the control unit 130.

[0105] For example, the control unit 130 can be configured to compare the magnitude of each of a plurality of voltage differences with a threshold TH. Here, the threshold TH is set as a reference value for diagnosing the state of the reference electrode and can be configured to be preset to, for example, 0.

[0106] The diagnostic step (S500) is a step for diagnosing the state of the reference electrode based on the comparison results, and can be executed by the control unit 130.

[0107] For example, the control unit 130 can be configured to diagnose the state of the reference electrode as abnormal if at least one of the plurality of voltage differences is less than a threshold TH.

[0108] As another example, the control unit 130 can be configured to diagnose the state of the reference electrode as normal if all of the plurality of voltage differences are greater than or equal to the threshold TH.

[0109] The embodiments of this disclosure described above can be implemented not only by apparatus and methods, but also by a program that implements functions corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments of this disclosure, or a recording medium that records the program. Those skilled in the art can readily implement such a program or recording medium from the description of the above embodiments.

[0110] Another embodiment of this disclosure may provide a computer-readable storage medium having thereon recorded programs for executing the various embodiments described above on a computer.

[0111] The program can be implemented as hardware components, software components, and / or a combination of hardware and software components. The program can be executed by any system capable of executing computer-readable instructions.

[0112] Software may include computer programs, code, instructions, or combinations thereof, which may configure processing equipment to perform desired operations or may independently or jointly command processing equipment.

[0113] Software can be implemented as a computer program that includes instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. Examples of computer-readable storage media include magnetic storage media (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), floppy disks, hard disks, etc.) and optically readable media (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs). Computer-readable storage media can be distributed across network-connected computer systems, allowing computer-readable code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The storage medium can be read by a computer, stored in memory, and executed by a processor.

[0114] Computer-readable storage media may be provided in the form of non-transitory storage media. Here, the term "non-transitory storage media" simply means that it is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently on the storage medium and cases where data is temporarily stored. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0115] In addition, the program can be provided as part of a computer program product. The computer program product can be traded as a commodity between a seller and a buyer.

[0116] Computer program products may include software programs and computer-readable storage media for storing the software programs. For example, a computer program product may include a product in the form of a software program (e.g., a downloadable application) distributed electronically by a manufacturer of an electronic device or through an electronic marketplace. For electronic distribution, at least a portion of the software program may be stored on a storage medium or temporarily generated. In this case, the storage medium may be the storage medium of a server belonging to the manufacturer of the electronic device, a server of an electronic marketplace, or a relay server temporarily storing the software program.

[0117] This disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that while the detailed description and specific examples indicate preferred embodiments of this disclosure, they are given by way of illustration only, as various changes and modifications within the scope of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description.

[0118] Furthermore, without departing from the technical aspects of this disclosure, those skilled in the art can make many substitutions, modifications and changes to this disclosure, and this disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and drawings, and each embodiment can be selectively combined in part or in whole to allow various modifications.

[0119] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0120] 100: Reference Electrode Diagnostic Device

[0121] 110: Charging and discharging unit

[0122] 120: Measurement Unit

[0123] 130: Control Unit

[0124] 140: Storage unit

Claims

1. A reference electrode diagnostic device, comprising: A charging and discharging unit configured to charge and discharge the battery; A measurement unit configured to measure the capacity and charging voltage of the working electrode during the charging process of the battery, and to measure the capacity and discharging voltage of the working electrode during the discharging process of the battery; as well as The control unit is configured to calculate the voltage difference between the charging voltage and the discharging voltage for each capacity, compare the calculated multiple voltage differences with preset thresholds, and diagnose the state of the reference electrode based on the comparison results.

2. The reference electrode diagnostic device according to claim 1, in, The control unit is configured to compare the magnitude of each of the plurality of voltage differences with the threshold, and to diagnose the state of the reference electrode based on the comparison results of the magnitudes of each of the plurality of voltage differences.

3. The reference electrode diagnostic device according to claim 2, in, The control unit is configured to diagnose the state of the reference electrode as abnormal when at least one of the plurality of voltage differences is less than the threshold.

4. The reference electrode diagnostic device according to claim 2, in, The control unit is configured to diagnose the state of the reference electrode as normal when all of the plurality of voltage differences are greater than or equal to the threshold.

5. The reference electrode diagnostic device according to claim 1, in, The control unit is configured to, in each of the plurality of charge and discharge cycles of the battery, determine a target voltage difference among the plurality of voltage differences, compare the plurality of target voltage differences with the threshold, and determine the abnormal occurrence cycle of the reference electrode based on the comparison result.

6. The reference electrode diagnostic device according to claim 5, in, The control unit is configured to determine the target voltage difference as the lowest voltage difference among the plurality of voltage differences.

7. The reference electrode diagnostic device according to claim 5, in, The control unit is configured to identify the earliest charging and discharging cycle in which the target voltage difference is less than the threshold as the abnormal occurrence cycle.

8. The reference electrode diagnostic device according to claim 5, in, The control unit is configured to identify the earliest charging and discharging cycle in the consecutive charging and discharging cycles as the abnormal occurrence cycle when the corresponding multiple target voltage differences in the consecutive charging and discharging cycles are less than the threshold.

9. The reference electrode diagnostic device according to claim 8, in, The control unit is configured to determine the abnormal occurrence cycle for a number of consecutive charging and discharging cycles exceeding a preset reference number among the plurality of charging and discharging cycles.

10. The reference electrode diagnostic device according to claim 1, in, The threshold is configured to be preset to approximately 0.

11. A reference electrode diagnostic method, comprising: A voltage difference calculation step, which calculates the voltage difference between the charging voltage and the discharging voltage for each capacity based on the capacity and charging voltage of the working electrode measured during the charging process of the battery and the capacity and discharging voltage of the working electrode measured during the discharging process of the battery. The comparison step compares the calculated voltage differences with a preset threshold. as well as A diagnostic step, which diagnoses the state of the reference electrode based on the comparison results.

12. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for performing the reference electrode diagnostic method of claim 11.

Images