Along with State-of-Charge (SOC), battery State-of-Health (SOH) is a critical parameter for evaluating the overall health & performance. Join us as we delve into the significance of battery State-of-Health, how it’s measured, & its implications for battery applications!
What is State-of-Health?
State of Health (SOH) serves as a barometer for assessing the overall health of a battery. Unlike physical quantities such as voltage or current, SOH cannot be directly measured by external sensors; rather, SOH must be estimated according to external features to get insight into a battery’s ability to perform as expected.
Factors That Influence Battery State-of-Health
Accordingly, there are several factors that influence a battery’s SOH:
- Charge and Discharge Cycles: Every time a battery is charged and discharged, it undergoes stress. Over time, this stress contributes to the degradation of the battery’s overall health.
- Power Fade: Power fade refers to the reduction in a battery’s ability to deliver its rated power. It occurs due to changes in the internal chemistry of the battery over the course of its normal lifecycle, which affect its performance over time.
- Storage and Operation Conditions: The environment in which batteries are stored and operated is important, and these can significantly impact the SOH. High temperatures, for instance, can accelerate degradation.
Measuring SOH: Capacity and Internal Resistance
To read more about measurement methods for State of Health, it’s importance in second life applications, and more, read the full article here.