Incremental Capacity Analysis as a Diagnostic Method Applied to Second Life Li-ion Batteries

This work is inserted in the context of second life Li-ion batteries: for such storage devices, their first life characteristics are unknown and a simple capacity measurement might not be sufficient to fully characterize and get it ready for its second life. The Incremental Capacity Analysis (ICA) was used in this study to give a more intimate diagnosis of the batteries’ Degradation Modes (DMs), providing a link with physical degradation phenomena. This method was applied to a lithium-ion battery module (NMC/Graphite) which was used in an electrical vehicle and to a single cell from a similar module in order to verify its potential use in this context. Both IC curves were then compared to a DM simulation using the ′Alawa software, capable of simulating different ageing phenomena and their effects on the IC curves. Moreover, this work gives an intrinsic view and explanation of the IC signature for the mentioned battery technology.