Search for an Optimal Five-Step Charging Pattern for Li-Ion Batteries Using Consecutive Orthogonal Arrays

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have emerged as the major power source for today's electronic products because they can offer advantages such as high energy density, low maintenance requirement, high open-circuit voltage, low self-discharge rate, and lack of memory effect. The performance and lifespan of Li-ion batteries are closely related to the quality of the charging pattern. Therefore, an optimal charging pattern is essential for Li-ion batteries to achieve shorter charging time and longer cycle life. In this paper, a Taguchi-based algorithm is presented. Consecutive orthogonal array techniques are utilized to determine the optimal charging pattern for the five-step constant current charging method. The problem formulation, implementation procedure, and parameter setting method are described and explained in detail. Experimental results show that the obtained charging pattern is capable of charging the Li-ion batteries to 95% capacity. Comparing to the conventional constant current-constant voltage method, the benefits of the obtained pattern are faster and safer charging and longer battery cycle life.