State-of-charge estimation for second-life lithium-ion batteries based on cell difference model and adaptive fading unscented Kalman filter algorithm

Lithium-ion batteries retired from electric vehicles can provide considerable economic benefits when they are retired for secondary use. However, retired batteries after screening and restructuring still face the problem of inaccurate battery pack state-of-charge (SOC) estimation due to the existence of extreme inconsistency. To solve this problem, an adaptive fading unscented Kalman filtering (AFUKF) algorithm based on the cell difference model (CDM) is proposed in this paper for improving the accuracy of SOC estimation of retired lithium-ion battery packs. Firstly, an improved CDM based on a hypothetical Rint model is developed based on a second-order resistor/capacitor equivalent circuit model. Secondly, an AFUKF algorithm is developed to improve the adaptability and robustness of local state estimation against process modelling errors. Finally, characteristic data are obtained by conducting discharge tests on the screened retired lithium-ion batteries under specific operating conditions. The proposed method can improve the accuracy of SOC estimation of retired lithium-ion battery packs and provide a new idea for SOC estimation of retired lithium-ion battery packs, as shown by the simulated real experimental data.