Advancements in OCV Measurement and Analysis for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Incremental open-circuit voltage (OCV) curves and low-current charge/discharge voltage profiles of a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery are compared and evaluated for optimizing measurement time and resolution. Since these curves are often used for further analysis, minimizing kinetic contributions is crucial for approximating battery OCV behavior. In this context, an incremental OCV measurement is characterized by state of charge (SOC) intervals and relaxation times. Various constant low C-rates, SOC intervals, and relaxation times are tested for approximating OCV behavior. Differential capacity and voltage analysis is used to check whether the main electrode features can be resolved satisfactorily. An interpolation method yields additional data points for the differential analysis of incremental OCV curves. It is shown that incremental OCV measurements are suitable for an approximation of battery OCV behavior, rather than low current-voltage profiles. Furthermore, extrapolation of voltage relaxation enables the estimation of fully relaxed OCV.