Battery Cell Reactivation Charging After Long-Term Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Long-term storage of lithium ion batteries leads to degradation due to increased SEI and CEI thickness and decreased electrode kinetics, resulting in lithium plating and performance issues, which existing pre-charge functions do not effectively address.
Innovation Solution
Implementing intelligent battery reactivation systems that determine storage duration and characteristics to apply a small charging current (0.1 C or lower) upon system activation, reforming SEI and CEI layers and improving electrode kinetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If a battery system is stored for long periods without use, then the battery cells remain inactive and preserve their charge, but the solid electrolyte interface and cathode electrolyte interface thickness increases, electrode kinetics decreases, and lithium plating forms, leading to battery degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of storage duration and battery characteristics before normal operation, identifying batteries that require reactivation. This preliminary action prevents degradation by initiating appropriate charging protocols before the battery is put into service, addressing the contradiction by preparing the battery in advance rather than reacting to degradation after it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes charging parameters (current rate, voltage thresholds) based on detected storage characteristics. Batteries identified as having undergone long-term storage receive different charging profiles than normally charged batteries, with adjusted current rates and voltage thresholds to prevent lithium plating and reform SEI/CEI layers appropriately, thus resolving the contradiction between storage duration and battery performance.
2Productivity
If a standard charge rate is applied to batteries after long-term storage, then charging speed is maintained, but battery degradation occurs due to lithium plating and increased interface thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts charging parameters based on real-time detection of battery storage characteristics and state. Rather than applying a fixed standard charge rate, the system modifies current rates and voltage thresholds according to the specific battery's storage history and condition, enabling optimized charging that prevents degradation while maintaining appropriate charging speed for each battery's needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes charging parameters (current rate, voltage thresholds) based on detected storage characteristics. Batteries identified as having undergone long-term storage receive different charging profiles than normally charged batteries, with adjusted current rates and voltage thresholds to prevent lithium plating and reform SEI/CEI layers appropriately, thus resolving the contradiction between storage duration and battery performance.
3Device complexity
If no reactivation process is implemented, then the battery system operates with standard procedures, but degraded batteries result in increased warranty and service costs
Solution Approach 1:
The battery management system performs self-detection and self-adjustment of charging parameters based on stored batteries' characteristics. The system automatically identifies which batteries require reactivation and applies appropriate charging profiles without external intervention, enabling the system to maintain reliability through intelligent monitoring and adaptation while keeping operational complexity manageable through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops that continuously monitor battery parameters, detect storage-related degradation indicators, and adjust charging protocols accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables the system to respond to battery conditions in real-time, preventing degradation and maintaining performance while managing complexity through automated control rather than manual procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents long-term degradation, enhances battery performance and reliability, and reduces warranty and service costs by automatically reactivating batteries based on storage history without manual intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a small pre-charge current rate of 256 milliamps is applied for charging battery cells of the smart battery pack whenever the battery cells of the smart battery pack are in an under-voltage condition
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented to automatically and intelligently re-activate battery cell/s of a battery system after the battery system has been subjected to relatively long term storage with the battery system inactive and unpowered by external power. The disclosed systems and methods may be so automatically implemented once external power is provided to the battery system and the battery system becomes active again. In one example, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented on a battery-powered information handling system using logic executing on a programmable integrated circuit of a battery system (e.g., battery management unit “BMU”) of the information handling system and/or at the system level (e.g., such as embedded controller “EC”) of the information handling system.