Used Lithium-Ion Cell Sorting for Reuse, Repurpose, or Recycle

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Solution Overview

Problem

The recycling of lithium-ion batteries is inefficient due to a lack of infrastructure and knowledge, resulting in only a small percentage being recycled in the United States, with recycling recovering about half of critical materials at high cost and requiring energy and toxic chemicals, while demand exceeds supply without a shift in consumption or manufacturing.

Innovation Solution

A method for processing used lithium-ion batteries involves disassembling, inspecting, and categorizing cells based on state-of-health through discharge tests to determine reuse, repurpose, or recycle categories, extending battery life and creating a circular process that reduces energy consumption and chemical waste, using a battery management system for remote monitoring and efficient cell replacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If lithium-ion batteries are recycled through conventional methods, then critical materials can be recovered, but the process requires high energy consumption and toxic chemicals while only recovering about half of critical materials at high cost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecritical materials recovery rateVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary classification and sorting of batteries by type, chemistry, and condition before recycling. This pre-processing step ensures that batteries are prepared optimally for material recovery, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of subsequent recycling operations while reducing energy consumption during the actual material recovery process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the state of battery data from raw to processed by analyzing multiple parameters including battery type, chemistry, capacity, and condition. This transformation enables more precise matching of batteries with appropriate recycling processes, thereby improving material recovery rates while optimizing energy and chemical usage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of substance

If lithium-ion batteries are recycled through conventional methods, then critical materials can be recovered, but the process occurs at high cost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecritical materials recovery rateVSAvoidrecycling cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to grow, then more batteries can be manufactured, but supply will be exceeded without a shift in consumption or manufacturing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery production capacityVSAvoidlithium supply

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a comprehensive battery recovery program that collects used lithium-ion batteries from various sources, processes them to recover valuable materials including lithium, and returns these materials to the manufacturing supply chain. This closed-loop approach ensures that lithium and other critical materials are continuously recovered and reused, maintaining supply adequacy even as production demand grows

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Loss of substance

If only a small percentage of lithium-ion batteries are recycled due to lack of infrastructure and knowledge, then recycling rates remain low, but this results in significant loss of critical materials

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecritical materials lossVSAvoidrecycling infrastructure development

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates automated classification, analysis, and sorting capabilities that operate with minimal human intervention. The automated system evaluates battery parameters, determines optimal recycling pathways, and directs batteries to appropriate processing facilities, thereby overcoming the infrastructure and knowledge gaps that have previously limited recycling rates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20230402667A1Systems and methods for processing and managing used lithium-ion batteries

Publication Date: 2023.12.14 HIGHER WIRE INC

AI summary

A method for processing used lithium-ion batteries includes disassembling a used lithium-ion battery configured for a high-load application, inspecting cells of the used lithium-ion battery, charging the cells, and assessing a state-of-health of each of the cells by running a discharge test to determine an internal resistance and a capacity, comparing the internal resistance and the capacity with manufacturer specifications, and determining the state-of-health based on the comparison. The method also includes categorizing each of the cells into a reuse category, a repurpose category, or a recycle category based on the state-of-health of the cells and reusing the cells categorized in the reuse category in a battery configured for a high-load application, repurposing the cells categorized in the repurpose category into a battery configured for a low-load application, and recycling the cells categorized in the recycle category.