Aggregation and Disaggregation of Second-life Batteries to Match New Battery Performance

The accumulated capacity of used batteries is expanding drastically due to the growing integration of Electric Vehicles (EV s) in the transport sector. When retired, these batteries still retain an adequate capacity to support less demanding implementation scenarios and thus can be granted a second-life. In this context, this paper proposes a general aggregation methodology to explore the power flexibility provided by second-life batteries (SLBs) that can achieve the same service level as new batteries. Furthermore, a disaggregation methodology is also developed to study the individual charge/discharge behaviors of the aggregated batteries, considering operation cost, depreciation cost, and repurposing cost. Finally, performance of the proposed aggregation and disaggregation methodologies is demonstrated through a case study, which shows that the aggregated SLBs can deliver the same level of service as new batteries and opens up the opportunities for wider SLBs applications.