A Combined Approach for Robot-based Disassembly and Testing of Electric Vehicle Battery Packs

The accelerated adoption of electric vehicles necessitates advancements in Lithium-Ion Battery technology and efficient battery dismantling processes for circular economy practices. These vehicles reach the end-of-life after around eight years. The batteries can no longer be used for mobile applications due to a capacity loss of around 40%, but are still suitable if a lower power density is required. This paper introduces a concept for an holistic consideration of a battery cell life-cycle in terms of a circular economy. The extended abstract introduces a novel approach that integrates the disassembly process with the testing and sorting electrical vehicle battery pack cells and modules. The focus is a conceptual demonstration utilizing a custom-designed tester connected to an industrial robot’s analog input connector. Two copper cables from the tester directly measure battery voltages, allowing immediate sorting based on predefined thresholds for an initial assessment regarding the state of health of the cells. The integration streamlines the overall process, enhancing efficiency and safety.