Apparatus for and method of non-destructive-type diagnosis of degree of battery degradation

A method of non-destructive-type diagnosis of a degree of degradation of a battery, the method comprising:

• installing a battery subject to inspection on a thermoelectric element module inside a chamber;
• connecting a charging and discharging unit to a lead portion of the battery and charging or discharging the battery;
• measuring, by a first measurement unit, an electromotive force generated by the thermoelectric element module due to heat generated in the battery due to the charging and discharging of the battery;
• measuring, by a second measurement unit, a change in impedance due to the charging and discharging of the battery;
• and
• comparing, by a determination unit, data on the electromotive force of the battery, the electromotive force being measured by the first measurement unit, and data on the impedance of the battery, the impedance being measured by the second measurement unit, with pre-prepared comparative data and determining a degree of degradation of the battery,
• wherein the pre-prepared comparative data is determined as a value of the degree of degradation that is estimated based on the data on the impedance, wherein the impedance is measured in a sample corresponding to each of subsections that result from linearly dividing a section between a total amount of heat generated that is quantified from an electromotive force measured in a sample of a battery in a fresh state and a total amount of heat generated that is quantified from an electromotive force measured in a sample of a battery that exceeds an end of life.

An apparatus for non-destructive-type diagnosis of a degree of degradation of a battery, the apparatus comprising:

• a chamber inside which a battery subject to inspection is arranged;
• a charging and discharging unit connected to a lead portion of the battery and configured to charge or discharge the battery;
• a thermoelectric element module thermally connected to the battery inside the chamber and configured to generate an electromotive force caused by heat generated by charging and discharging the battery;
• a first measurement unit configured to measure the electromotive force generated by the thermoelectric element module;
• a second measurement unit configured to measure a change in impedance due to the charging and discharging of the battery;
• a determination unit configured to compare data on the electromotive force of the battery, the electromotive force being measured by the first measurement unit, and data on the impedance of the battery, the impedance being measured by the second measurement unit, with pre-prepared comparative data and determining a degree of degradation of the battery;
• and
• a thermal imaging unit image-capturing a heat distribution of the battery that changes inside the chamber when charging and discharging the battery,
• wherein the determination unit compares the data on the impedance of the battery, the impedance being measured by the second measurement unit, and the heat distribution of the battery that is image-captured by the thermal imaging unit and determines a cause of the degradation of the battery.