Monitoring/managing electrochemical energy device using detected intercalation stage changes

US9209494B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated · US

Inventors

• Peter Kiesel · Palo Alto, US
• Lars Wilko Sommer · Bretten, DE
• Ajay Raghavan · Mountain View, US
• Bhaskar Saha · Redwood City, US
• Tobias Staudt · Palo Alto, US
• Alexander Lochbaum · Landau, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 1, 2014
• Grant date: Dec 8, 2015
• Expiry date: Apr 1, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E60/50
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A system includes utilizes optical sensors arranged within or on portions of an electrochemical energy device (e.g., a rechargeable Li-ion battery, supercapacitor or fuel cell) to measure operating parameters (e.g., mechanical strain and/or temperature) of the electrochemical energy device during charge/recharge cycling. The measured parameter data is transmitted by way of light signals along optical fibers to a controller, which converts the light signals to electrical data signal using a light source/analyzer. A processor then extracts temperature and strain data features from the data signals, and utilizes a model-based process to detect intercalation stage changes (i.e., characteristic crystalline structure changes caused by certain concentrations of guest species, such as Li-ions, within the electrode material of the electrochemical energy device) indicated by the data features. The detected intercalation stage changes are used to generate highly accurate operating state information (e.g., state-of-charge and state-of-health), and management/control signals for optimizing charge/discharge rates.