Lithium plating detection using differential charging current analysis in lithium-ion batteries

In this paper, a lithium plating (LP) detection method for lithium-ion batteries is presented that can be applied during a constant-current-constant-voltage (CCCV) charging process and along with the voltage relaxation profile (VRP) technique constitute an effective and easy-to-use non-destructive tool. The suggested method detects the LP in a lithium-ion battery cell by examining a distinct plateau in the charging current during the constant-voltage (CV) phase of the CCCV procedure, which can be correlated to the LP process. Specifically, the proposed method monitors the battery cell charging current during the CV phase and by applying differential current analysis (DCA), it can detect the LP by seeking a local maximum that is observed in the curves of the charging current versus the time and the state-of-charge (SoC). The effectiveness of the method has been experimentally validated under several charging conditions with two established in-situ LP detection methods, the differential charging voltage (DCV) and the dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (DEIS). Furthermore, the correlation of the current plateau with the LP has been experimentally analyzed to enhance the knowledge on the reversible LP process during charging that can be utilized to further improve the sensitivity of LP detection methods.