Patent ID: 12212174

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the provided subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Embodiments of present disclosure provides processes for recycling of an electrochemical energy storage device (e.g., a battery or a cell). Embodiments of present disclosure provides processes for completely discharging an electrochemical energy storage device before recycling. Complete discharging of an electrochemical energy storage device before recycling is important as any remaining charge may cause a fire during the recycling process.

FIG.1is a diagram of an electrochemical energy storage device (e.g., a battery) recycling environment100. Referring toFIG.1, in electrochemical energy storage device recycling environment100, electronic devices105such as laptops, automobiles (hybrid and pure electric), computers, smart phones, and any other type of battery supported equipment is suitable for use with the disclosed approach. Electronic devices105contribute a spent cell110having anode and cathode material115. Anode and cathode material115may include nickel, manganese, cobalt, lithium, graphite, etc. Discharge environment120completely discharges the spent cell110. A physical separation process125dismantles completely discharged spent cell110to form a granular mass130. Granular mass130is formed usually by simply crushing and grinding the spent battery casing and cells therein.

Physical separation is applied to remove the battery cases (plastic) and electrode materials, for example, via magnetic separation that draws out the magnetic steel. A recycler135includes physical containment of a solution140including granular mass130that includes the spent charge materials. Additional raw charge materials145may be added to achieve a predetermined ratio of the desirable materials in solution140. Following the recycling process, cathode materials150result and are employed to form a new battery155including the recycled cathode material160. New battery155may then be employed in the various type of electronic devices105that contributed spent cell110.

FIG.2is a diagram of discharge environment120for spent cell110. Discharge environment120includes an impedance detector210, a discharge device220, a multimeter230, a temperature sensor240, and a controller250. Impedance detector210determines an impedance profile of spent cell110. The impedance profile comprises an internal impedance of spent cell at different charge levels from a remaining charge level to the complete discharge level. The internal impedance of spent cell110varies (e.g., decrease or increase) with drop in the remaining charge level.

In accordance with example embodiments, impedance detector210is an Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) device. The EIS device applies a variable voltage (e.g., a sinusoidal potential) or a variable current (e.g., a sinusoidal current) across spent cell110and measures a corresponding output current or a corresponding output potential respectively. When the EIS device applies a sinusoidal potential across spent cell110and measures the corresponding output current, then it is referred to as a potentiostatic EIS device. However, when the EIS device applies a sinusoidal current across spent cell110and measures the corresponding output potential, then it is referred to as a galvanostatic EIS device.

The sinusoidal potential that the EIS device applies across spent cell110has several attributes. For example, the sinusoidal potential is time dependent, that is, the applied potential fluctuates as a function of time. In addition, the sinusoidal potential has an amplitude (i.e., a size of the applied signal) and an angular frequency (i.e., how frequently the potential oscillates). Corresponding output current has similar attributes. For example, the corresponding output current is a time dependent current (i.e., it is a sinusoidal current having an amplitude that oscillates with time) and a same angular frequency of the applied sinusoidal potential. However, the output current's angular frequency is offset from the applied sinusoidal voltage. This offset is referred to as a phase shift or a phase angle.

The EIS device applies the sinusoidal potential across spent cell110at multiple frequencies centered around a selected frequency. The EIS device measures the corresponding output current at these multiple frequencies creating a spectrum. The EIS device then converts time domain signals (e.g., the sinusoidal potential and the corresponding output current) to frequency domain signals. That is, the EIS device determines a Fourier transform of the sinusoidal potentials and the corresponding output currents at these multiple frequencies. The internal impedance of spent cell110is then determined by dividing the frequency domain potential signal by the frequency domain output current signal.

Discharge device220applies a variable discharge load to completely discharge spent cell110. The variable discharge load applied by discharge device220varies with the internal impedance of spent cell110at a given charge level. For example, the discharge load applied by discharge device220increases with increase in the internal impedance and decreases with decrease in the internal impedance of spent cell110. In accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, discharge device220is a power cycler, for example, a bi-directional power supply. The bi-directional power supply can be used to inject or provide the power harvested from discharging of spent cell110to a power grid or an electrical grid.

Multimeter230determines a remaining charge level on spent cell110, a voltage of spent cell110, a current through spent cell110, and a power being provided by spent cell110. Multimeter230also determines a power quality of the power being provided by spent cell110. The power quality can include a relationship between a phase angle of voltage and a phase angle of the current, a duty cycle of the power being provided by spent cell110and any harmonics if present.

Temperature sensor240senses a current temperature of spent cell110. Controller250can control the discharging process of spent cell110. For example, controller250can receive the impedance profile of spent cell110, receive the temperature, the quality of power, and determine the discharge load to be applied to spent cell110. Controller250can include a display device displaying a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The GUI may display a current charge level, the temperature, the power quality, the discharge load, a current, a voltage, etc. A user can use the GUI to manually adjust the discharge load being applied.

FIG.3is a flow chart setting forth the general stages involved in a method300consistent with an embodiment of the disclosure for discharging an electrochemical energy storage device (i.e., spent cell110). Method300may be performed by the controller250. Ways to implement the stages of method300may be described in greater detail below.

Method300may begin at starting block305and proceed to stage310where controller250determines a remaining charge on the electrochemical energy storage device (i.e., spent cell110) to be recycled. For example, a recycling facility may receive spent cell110for recycling. Controller250may determine the remaining charge on spent cell110through multimeter230. Controller250may determine other characteristic (e.g., a type, manufacturer, age, etc.) of spent cell110.

From stage310where controller250determines the remaining charge on the electrochemical energy storage device, method300may advance to stage320where controller250determines the impedance profile of the electrochemical energy storage device for the remaining charge. As discussed above, the impedance profile includes an internal impedance of the electrochemical energy storage device at different charge levels from the remaining charge to the complete discharge level. Controller250may determine the impedance profile of spent cell110through impedance detector210.

In accordance with example embodiments, controller250may determine the impedance profile of spent cell110from a database. For example, controller250may create a database containing example impedance profiles for various types or categories of spent cells for different remaining charge level. Controller250may determine the impedance profile of spent cell110by performing a lookup in the database with one or more characteristics associated with spent cell110.

Once controller250determines an impedance profile of the electrochemical energy storage device for the remaining charge in stage320, method300continues to stage330where controller250applies a variable discharge load on the electrochemical energy storage device until the complete discharge. The variable discharge load varies with the internal impedance of the electrochemical energy storage device at the different charge levels. An impedance of the variable discharge load matches the internal impedance of spent cell110at a given charge level.

The discharge load can be varied based on the temperature of spent cell110. For example, the discharge load can be increased if the temperature of spent cell110is below a first predetermined temperature (i.e., below a critical temperature) at a given charge level. Increasing the discharge load can fasten the discharging of spent cell110. The discharge load is decreased if the temperature of spent cell110is above a second predetermined temperature (i.e., above a critical temperature) at a given charge level. For example, the discharge load may be decreased to reduce or eliminate the risk of a fire hazard. Once controller250applies a variable discharge load on the electrochemical energy storage device until the complete discharge in stage330, method300may then end at stage340.

FIG.4shows computing device400. As shown inFIG.4, computing device400includes a processing unit410and a memory unit415. Memory unit415includes a software module420and a database425. While executing on processing unit410, software module420performs, for example, processes for discharging an electrochemical energy storage device, including for example, any one or more of the stages from method300described above with respect toFIG.3. Computing device400, for example, provides an operating environment for controller250. Controller250may operate in other environments and are not limited to computing device400.

Computing device400can be implemented using a tablet device, a mobile device, a smart phone, a telephone, a remote control device, a personal computer, a network computer, a mainframe, a router, a switch, a server cluster, a smart TV-like device, a network storage device, a network relay device, or other similar microcomputer-based device. Computing device400can include any computer operating environment, such as hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable sender electronic devices, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Computing device400can also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices. The aforementioned systems and devices are examples and computing device400can comprise other systems or devices.

Embodiments of the disclosure, for example, can be implemented as a computer process (method), a computing system, or as an article of manufacture, such as a computer program product or computer readable media. The computer program product can be a computer storage media readable by a computer system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. The computer program product can also be a propagated signal on a carrier readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. Accordingly, the present disclosure can be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.). In other words, embodiments of the present disclosure can take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. A computer-usable or computer-readable medium can be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

The computer-usable or computer-readable medium can be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific computer-readable medium examples (a non-exhaustive list), the computer-readable medium can include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). Note that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

While certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described, other embodiments may exist. Furthermore, although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums, data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, or a CD-ROM, a carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms of RAM or ROM. Further, the disclosed methods' stages may be modified in any manner, including by reordering stages and/or inserting or deleting stages, without departing from the disclosure.

Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced in an electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors. Embodiments of the disclosure may also be practiced using other technologies capable of performing logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited to, mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. In addition, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced within a general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems.

Embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced via a system-on-a-chip (SOC) where each or many of the element illustrated inFIGS.1and2may be integrated onto a single integrated circuit. Such a SOC device may include one or more processing units, graphics units, communications units, system virtualization units and various application functionality all of which may be integrated (or “burned”) onto the chip substrate as a single integrated circuit. When operating via a SOC, the functionality described herein with respect to embodiments of the disclosure, may be performed via application-specific logic integrated with other components of computing device400on the single integrated circuit (chip).

Embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, are described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.

While the specification includes examples, the disclosure's scope is indicated by the following claims. Furthermore, while the specification has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, the claims are not limited to the features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example for embodiments of the disclosure.