Battery Characterization Using Battery-to-Battery Energy Cycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for characterizing batteries are inefficient, requiring high power sources and loads that lead to energy wastage and high costs, especially in battery grading for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.
Innovation Solution
A system where energy storage devices are characterized by discharging one battery into another to charge it, while measuring characteristics, thereby recycling energy and minimizing wastage, with a controller managing the process to ensure efficient energy use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If power is sent back to the grid during battery discharge, then energy can be recovered, but high power source and load installations are required which increase cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple batteries into a shared pool where discharge energy from one battery directly charges another battery in the same pool. This merging approach eliminates the need for separate high-power source and load installations, as the batteries themselves serve as both sources and loads for each other, thereby reducing infrastructure complexity while maintaining energy recovery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pool system enables self-service by allowing batteries to charge each other directly without external infrastructure. When one battery discharges, its energy automatically charges another battery in the pool, creating a self-sustaining system that eliminates dependence on external high-power sources and loads, thus reducing both cost and complexity.
2Measurement precision
If traditional charging and discharging methods are used for battery characterization, then complete characterization data can be obtained, but significant energy is wasted during the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful energy waste from traditional characterization methods into a beneficial resource by capturing the discharge energy and using it to charge other batteries in the pool. Instead of dissipating energy as heat or sending it to the grid where it requires heavy infrastructure, the system repurposes this energy to directly charge characterization batteries, transforming waste into useful charging energy while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers energy that would otherwise be discarded during battery characterization. By capturing discharge energy from tested batteries and redirecting it to charge other batteries in the pool, the system prevents energy waste while continuing to obtain complete characterization data, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and energy efficiency.
3Reliability
If batteries are replaced when state of health drops below 70-80%, then vehicle performance is maintained, but usable battery life is lost and recycling costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal battery pool where batteries can serve multiple functions across different applications. Second-life batteries with 70-80% state of health can be deployed in less demanding applications within the pool, while still contributing to the system by providing discharge energy for characterization and charging other batteries. This multi-functional approach extends battery utilization beyond single applications, delaying replacement and reducing recycling costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts battery deployment based on state of health parameters. Instead of uniformly replacing all batteries below a fixed threshold, the system reassigns batteries to different roles within the pool based on their remaining capacity and health status, allowing optimized utilization that extends overall system life while maintaining required performance levels for each application.
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
This approach significantly reduces energy consumption and infrastructure costs for battery grading, allowing for efficient characterization of batteries while charging and discharging between each other, with minimal energy loss.
Implementation Method 1
discharging a first storage device into a second storage device to charge the second storage device
Implementation Method 2
measuring discharging characteristics of the first storage device and the charging characteristics of the second storage device
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for characterization of batteries and other storage devices that may be new or second use. The systems charge and discharge the storage devices to measure capacity, charge and discharge current and voltage curves, impedance, and/or temperature variations, among others. During charging of one storage device, energy is dissipated from another storage device, and vice versa. As such, the power that is consumed from the grid by each storage device and/or dissipated through a load is greatly reduced providing increased efficiency.