Patent ID: 8446127
Filing Date: 2013-05-21
Classification: G01R,H01M,H02J,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method of characterizing the state of health of an electrochemical cell comprising a host material, the method comprising the steps of: determining a change in Gibbs Free Energy (ΔG), a change in Entropy(ΔS), a change in Enthalpy (ΔH) or any combination thereof of the electrochemical cell for a plurality of selected electrochemical cell compositions; determining states of charge of the electrochemical cell for each of the plurality of selected electrochemical cell compositions; identifying the states of charge and ΔG, ΔS, ΔH or any combination thereof corresponding to an event or condition of the electrochemical cell; and comparing the ΔG, ΔS, ΔH or any combination thereof corresponding to the event or condition of the electrochemical cell to reference ΔG, ΔS, ΔH or any combination thereof corresponding to the event or condition of a reference electrochemical cell; wherein the event or condition is selected from the group consisting of: a 0% charge state of the electrochemical cell, a 100% charge state of the electrochemical cell, a partial charge state of the electrochemical cell and a phase transition taking place within the electrochemical cell; wherein the step of determining ΔG, ΔS, ΔH or any combination thereof of the electrochemical cell for the plurality of selected electrochemical cell compositions comprises the steps of: