Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a state of a secondary battery (SB), including: a charging unit electrically connected to two terminals of the SB, the charging unit charging the SB, a voltage measuring unit electrically connected to and measuring a voltage across the two terminals of the SB, a time measuring unit for: receiving a voltage value of the SB from the voltage measuring unit, and during charging of the SB, in a predefined voltage range, measuring a charge time of the SB corresponding to the voltage range multiple times, and a control unit for: transmitting/receiving an electrical signal to/from the charging unit, the voltage measuring unit, and the time measuring unit, calculating a ratio of a first charge time and a second charge time measured by the time measuring unit sequentially at a time interval, and estimating a state of the SB.

Abstract: A charging control apparatus measures a first temperature of a first secondary battery selected from the plurality of secondary batteries, a second temperature of a coolant flowing into the cooling device, a charging current of the secondary battery pack, a first terminal voltage of the first secondary battery and a second terminal voltage of a second secondary battery closest to the cooling device, estimates a temperature of a temperature estimation point of the second secondary battery from a lumped thermal model having a thermal resistance between two points selected from the temperature estimation point of the second secondary battery, the first temperature measurement point and the second temperature measurement point, and measurement data about temperature, current and voltage, and determines the estimated temperature as a minimum temperature of the secondary battery pack, and varies a charging power provided to the secondary battery pack according to the minimum temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for controlling step charging of a secondary battery. A charging control unit determines a SOC, an OCV and a polarization voltage of the secondary battery, determines an OCV deviation corresponding to a difference between the OCV and a predefined minimum OCV value, determines a correction factor corresponding to the polarization voltage and the OCV deviation, determines a look-up SOC by correcting the SOC according to the correction factor, determines the magnitude of a charging current corresponding to the look-up SOC, and provides the determined charging current to a charging device.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method of obtaining degradation information of a lithium ion battery cell. The apparatus according to an embodiment estimates a first positive electrode usage region related to a first state of health of the lithium ion battery cell. The apparatus estimates a second positive electrode usage region related to a second state of health of the lithium ion battery cell. Then, the apparatus calculates an amount of change of maximum storage capacity of a positive electrode of the lithium ion battery cell with respect to a usage period from the first state of health to the second state of health, based on the first positive electrode usage region and the second positive electrode usage region.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for testing the electrochemical performance of a battery cell in a non-destructive manner. The apparatus includes a measuring unit configured to measure an open circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery cell, a memory unit configured to store data obtained through pre-experiments for each of a plurality of reference cells and a process deviation value occurred in a manufacturing process of the battery cell, and a control unit electrically connected to the measuring unit and the memory unit. The control unit is configured to determine at least one of a capacity of the battery cell, an estimated profile data indicating a change in OCV of the battery cell in a predetermined state of charge (SOC) range and a resistance of the battery cell.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for testing the electrochemical performance of a battery cell in a non-destructive manner. The apparatus includes a measuring unit configured to measure an open circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery cell, a memory unit configured to store data obtained through pre-experiments for each of a plurality of reference cells and a process deviation value occurred in a manufacturing process of the battery cell, and a control unit electrically connected to the measuring unit and the memory unit. The control unit is configured to determine at least one of a capacity of the battery cell, an estimated profile data indicating a change in OCV of the battery cell in a predetermined state of charge (SOC) range and a resistance of the battery cell.

Abstract: A charging apparatus includes a control unit configured to determine an average ion concentration, a surface ion concentration and a solid phase potential for anode particles and an electrolyte potential in an anode, using a predefined electrochemical reduced order model. The control unit is further configured to determine a side reaction rate from the solid phase potential and the electrolyte potential. The control unit is further configured to reduce the magnitude of the charging current applied to a secondary battery based on at least one of a cutoff voltage, the surface ion concentration and the side reaction rate.

Abstract: Provided are apparatus and method of testing electrochemical performance of a battery cell in a nondestructive manner The apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a memory configured to store first profile data, second profile data, a first positive electrode upper limit, a first positive electrode lower limit, a first negative electrode upper limit, and a first negative electrode lower limit that are determined in advance through a preliminary experiment with respect to each of a plurality of reference cells; a sensing unit configured to measure an open-circuit voltage of a test cell according to a variation in a state of charge (SOC) of the test cell; and a controller electrically connected to the memory and the sensing unit. The controller is configured to test performance of the test cell in a nondestructive manner based on data regarding the reference cells and data measured by the sensing unit stored in the memory.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a battery cell in which a foil functioning as a busbar is adopted in the battery cell, and thus, the resistance of the battery cell is reduced to increase the output of the battery cell.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique capable of improving the life span of a battery by managing the charging of the battery. The battery charging management apparatus includes a degradation rate estimating unit configured to estimate a degradation rate of a secondary battery; a ceiling calculating unit configured to calculate a charge ceiling voltage based on the degradation rate estimated by the degradation rate estimating unit; a charge control unit configured to control the charging of the secondary battery so that the secondary battery is charged only up to the charge ceiling voltage calculated by the ceiling calculating unit; and a memory unit configured to store information required for operating at least one of the degradation rate estimating unit, the ceiling calculating unit and the charge control unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a state of a secondary battery (SB), including: a charging unit electrically connected to two terminals of the SB, the charging unit charging the SB, a voltage measuring unit electrically connected to and measuring a voltage across the two terminals of the SB, a time measuring unit for: receiving a voltage value of the SB from the voltage measuring unit, and during charging of the SB, in a predefined voltage range, measuring a charge time of the SB corresponding to the voltage range multiple times, and a control unit for: transmitting/receiving an electrical signal to/from the charging unit, the voltage measuring unit, and the time measuring unit, calculating a ratio of a first charge time and a second charge time measured by the time measuring unit sequentially at a time interval, and estimating a state of the SB.

Abstract: An apparatus estimating a state of charge (SOC)-open circuit voltage (OCV) profile, including: a storage unit storing: a beginning of life (BOL) positive electrode (PE) half-cell SOC-OCV profile and available range (AR), a BOL negative electrode (NE) half-cell SOC-OCV profile and AR, and a BOL full-cell SOC-OCV profile and total capacity (TC), and a control unit estimating a full-cell SOC-OCV profile at middle of life (MOL), including: an AR determination module for: calculating an MOL full-cell TC while a secondary battery is fully charged/discharged at MOL, and determining the MOL PE and NE ARs so a ratio of the MOL to the BOL full-cell TCs equals a ratio of the MOL to the BOL PE ARs and a ratio of the MOL to the BOL NE ARs, and a profile management module for: estimating, as an MOL full-cell SOC-OCV profile, a differential profile, and updating the BOL full-cell SOC-OCV profile.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a positive electrode active material which reduces lithium by-products and improves structural stability and includes a lithium-nickel based transition metal composite oxide in which an alkaline earth metal having oxidation number of +2 is doped and a phosphate coated layer formed on the outer surface of the composite oxide. Accordingly, a second battery including the positive electrode active material has excellent capacity characteristics, and also improves structural stability during charging/discharging and prevents swelling, thereby being capable of exhibiting excellent life characteristics. Therefore, the present invention may be easily applied to industry in need thereof, and particularly to electric vehicles industry requiring high capacity and long-term life characteristics.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cathode active material for secondary batteries comprising at least one compound selected from the following formula 1: (1?s?t)[Li(LiaMn(1?a?x?y)NixCoy)O2]*s[Li2CO3]*t[LiOH]??(1) wherein 0<a<0.2, 0<x<0.9, 0<y<0.5, a+x+y<1, 0<s<0.03, and 0<t<0.03; and a, x and y represent a molar ratio, and a and t represent a weight ratio. The cathode active material has long lifespan at room temperature and high temperatures and provides superior stability, although charge and discharge are repeated at a high current.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method of obtaining degradation information of a lithium ion battery cell. The apparatus according to an embodiment estimates a first positive electrode usage region related to a first state of health of the lithium ion battery cell. The apparatus estimates a second positive electrode usage region related to a second state of health of the lithium ion battery cell. Then, the apparatus calculates an amount of change of maximum storage capacity of a positive electrode of the lithium ion battery cell with respect to a usage period from the first state of health to the second state of health, based on the first positive electrode usage region and the second positive electrode usage region.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a degree of aging of a secondary battery is configured to: determine a current and a temperature of the secondary battery; determine a state of charge from the current of the secondary battery; determine a degree of calendar aging by applying a cumulative degree-of-aging model to a degree-of-calendar-aging profile corresponding to the determined state of charge and the determined temperature while the secondary battery is in a calendar state; determine a degree of cycle aging by applying the cumulative degree-of-aging model to a degree-of-cycle-aging profile corresponding to the state of charge, the temperature, and the current of the secondary battery while the secondary battery is in a cycle state; and determine, as the degree of aging of the secondary battery, a weighted average value calculated for the determined degree of calendar aging and the determined degree of cycle aging based on calendar time and cycle time.

Abstract: Provided are a method of preparing a cathode active material including coating a surface of a lithium transition metal oxide with a lithium boron oxide by dry mixing the lithium transition metal oxide and a boron-containing compound and performing a heat treatment, and a cathode active material prepared thereby. A method of preparing a cathode active material according to an embodiment of the present invention may easily transform lithium impurities present in a lithium transition metal oxide into a structurally stable lithium boron oxide by performing a heat treatment near the melting point of a boron-containing compound. Also, a coating layer may be formed in which the lithium boron oxide is uniformly coated in an amount proportional to the used amount of the boron-containing compound even at a low heat treatment temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for conducting a nail penetration test for a secondary battery are provided. The apparatus for conducting the nail penetration test includes: a stage on which the secondary battery, which is an object of the nail penetration test, is fixed; a nail penetration unit including a nail elevating/lowering means; a voltage measuring unit configured to repeatedly measure a short-circuit voltage of the secondary battery with a time interval during the nail penetration test; and a controller operably coupled to the voltage measuring unit. The controller periodically receives a short-circuit voltage from the voltage measuring unit, determines a short-circuit current allowing the received short-circuit voltage to be applied between outermost nodes of an equivalent circuit which models the secondary battery whenever the short-circuit voltage is received, and visually outputs a change in the determined value of the short-circuit current according to time through a display unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a battery cell in which a foil functioning as a busbar is adopted in the battery cell, and thus, the resistance of the battery cell is reduced to increase the output of the battery cell.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for adjusting a charging condition of a secondary battery are provided.