Evaluating a Nickel–Metal Hydride (NiMH) Battery Regeneration Patent Based on a Non-Intrusive and Unsupervised Prototype

In the ongoing shift toward electric vehicles (EVs) primarily utilizing lithium-ion battery technology, a significant population of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) remains operational, which are reliant on established NiMH battery systems. Over the last twenty years, these HEVs have generated a subs...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Batteries (Basel) 2024-11, Vol.10 (11), p.402
Main Authors: Martínez-Sánchez, Rafael, Molina-García, Angel, Mateo-Aroca, Antonio, Ramallo-González, Alfonso P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Automobiles
Automobiles, Electric
Batteries
battery regeneration
battery second life
Case studies
Circular economy
Design
Electric vehicles
Evaluation
Hazardous wastes
Hybrid electric vehicles
Hybrid vehicles
Intellectual property
Lithium-ion batteries
Maintenance costs
Manufacturing
Metal hydrides
Methods
Performance degradation
Prototypes
Rechargeable batteries
Recycling
Regeneration
Sales
Service life
Useful life
Waste materials
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Summary:In the ongoing shift toward electric vehicles (EVs) primarily utilizing lithium-ion battery technology, a significant population of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) remains operational, which are reliant on established NiMH battery systems. Over the last twenty years, these HEVs have generated a substantial number of NiMH batteries that are either inoperable, experiencing performance degradation, or approaching the end of their service life. This situation results in a twofold challenge: (i) a growing volume of environmentally hazardous waste due to the difficulty of NiMH battery reclamation and (ii) escalating maintenance costs for HEV owners necessitated by replacement battery purchases. To overcome this scenario, patent WO2015092107A1, published in 2015, proposed a ‘Method for regenerating NiMH batteries.’ This method claimed the ability to restore NiMH batteries to their original functionality based on a non-intrusive approach. However, a comprehensive review of the relevant scientific literature fails to identify any empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of this regeneration technique. Within this context, this study provides a detailed analysis and evaluation of the regeneration process based on an unsupervised and non-intrusive prototype. The proposed prototype can be used not only to implement and evaluate the previous patent, but also to test any other process or methodology based on controlled charging/discharging periods under certain current conditions. NiMH battery cells from a Toyota Prius were included in this work as a real case study. The experimental results from this prototype demonstrate the reduced potential for battery regeneration using the proposed method. Future contributions should offer a promising solution for mitigating the challenges associated with NiMH battery disposal, maintenance within the HEV domain, and other second-life alternative options.
ISSN:2313-0105
2313-0105
DOI:10.3390/batteries10110402