Batteries in electric cars have a limited lifespan because their capacity steadily decreases over the years. The discarded batteries from electric cars can already be recycled today. Previously, they could also serve as stationary electricity storage devices. However, to do this, the specific aging condition must be known. Researchers have now collected about ten fitness indicators, the Technical University of Graz reported.
Batteries in electric cars age with each new charge: this effect means that they store less and less energy and therefore their range and performance decrease. Currently it becomes critical around 160,000 kilometers. After that, car batteries could certainly find other applications – for example in stationary storage systems for the home, where they are no longer as heavily loaded as in the car – for example for temporary storage of excess energy from solar and wind power plants.
Whether the batteries can continue to be used sensibly depends largely on their remaining performance. Researchers from the Institute for Vehicle Safety of the Graz University of Technology have collected a range of indicators that can be used to assess the condition of waste lithium-ion cells.
13 battery status indicators have been identified
The researchers compared discarded lithium-ion cells with identical new ones in the laboratory: they recorded 31 different readings during the charge and discharge cycles. 13 of these indicators turned out to be meaningful. The Graz experts take into account the charging and discharging power, the temperature difference between the poles during the charging process and the relaxation behavior of the battery cell after the charging process.
“Using these indicators, we can draw conclusions about the aging status of lithium-ion batteries and make initial conclusions about different usage profiles, without having to rely on data protection-critical information about the batteries’ usage history,” explains Jörg Moser, head of the company, out. from the Battery Safety Center Graz of the Institute for Vehicle Safety. On this basis, one should be able to decide whether a battery is in principle suitable for continued use in a specific area of application.
The safety factor is also relevant
If the batteries are reused, their safety status is also important, as chemical changes occur in the materials over the years. “It is crucial to understand battery cells and the processes, reactions and changes that take place within them in detail in order to qualify them with regard to their safety behavior,” says Christian Ellersdorfer of the Institute for Vehicle Safety, which brings together several research institutions, as well as automotive and technology companies participate in the safety-related study Evaluation of New and Used Lithium-ion Batteries. The first results should be available at the end of this year.
According to the Graz researchers’ estimate, it will take a few more years before used batteries are widely used in subsequent applications, making electromobility even more sustainable over the entire life cycle. In addition to the safety of different battery technologies, the economic viability of second-hand applications and legal questions about data protection, warranty or liability must also be taken into account. “This results in an interdisciplinary research field that we at TU Graz want to work on in further research projects together with national and international partners,” says Ellersdorfer.
Source: Krone
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