Patent ID: 9742042
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: G01N,G01R,H01M,Y02E

Claim:
1. An apparatus for real-time monitoring of anode and cathode voltage, anode and cathode differential voltage, and anode and cathode state of charge in a metal-ion battery, wherein said apparatus is linked in operable communication with said battery, said apparatus comprising: a first voltage monitor that is connectable between said anode and a reference electrode of said battery; a second voltage monitor that is connectable between said cathode and said reference electrode, wherein a porous current collector is interposed between said reference electrode, on the one hand, and both of said anode and said cathode, on the other hand, to allow communication of metal ions (i) away from a metal-ion path between said cathode said anode and (ii) toward said reference electrode; and a computer programmed using non-transitory memory with executable code for executing the steps of: receiving anode voltage signals derived from said first voltage monitor at a plurality of times; receiving cathode voltage signals derived from said second voltage monitor at said plurality of times; receiving or calculating a derivative of the anode voltage with respect to time and/or a derivative of the anode voltage with respect to capacity at said plurality of times; receiving or calculating a derivative of the cathode voltage with respect to time and/or a derivative of the cathode voltage with respect to capacity at said plurality of times; receiving current signals derived from battery current at said plurality of times; identifying a first time and a second time, within said plurality of times, such that said battery current is 0 A for at least 1 minute, wherein between said first time and said second time, there exists an intermediate time such that said battery current is greater than 0 A; estimating first and second anode open-circuit voltages from said anode voltage signals at said first and second times, respectively; correlating said first and second anode open-circuit voltages to first and second anode states of charge at said first and second times, respectively; estimating first and second cathode open-circuit voltages from said cathode voltage signals at said first and second times, respectively; and correlating said first and second cathode open-circuit voltages to first and second cathode states of charge at said first and second times, respectively.