Lithium rechargeable cell with reference electrode for state of health monitoring

1. A battery, comprising:

first and second working electrodes separated by at least one separator, the first working electrode in electrical connection with a first terminal, and the second working electrode in electrical connection with a second terminal;

one or more reference electrodes; and

a can housing the working electrodes and the one or more reference electrodes, wherein the can is electrically isolated from the first and second terminals and is electrically connected to the one or more reference electrodes to provide terminals for the one or more reference electrodes,

wherein the battery is a lithium ion battery and the working electrodes comprise electroactive materials capable lithium uptake and release, and the one or more reference electrodes comprise lithium titanium oxide.

2. A battery, comprising:

first and second working electrodes separated by at least one separator, the first working electrode in electrical connection with a first terminal, and the second working electrode in electrical connection with a second terminal;

one or more reference electrodes; and

a can housing the working electrodes and the one or more reference electrodes, wherein the can is electrically isolated from the first and second terminals and is electrically connected to the one or more reference electrodes to provide terminals for the one or more reference electrodes,

wherein the battery is a lithium ion battery and the working electrodes comprise electroactive materials capable lithium uptake and release, and the one or more reference electrodes comprise lithium iron phosphate.

3. A battery, comprising:

first and second working electrodes separated by at least one separator, the first working electrode in electrical connection with a first terminal, and the second working electrode in electrical connection with a second terminal;

one or more reference electrodes; and

a can housing the working electrodes and the one or more reference electrodes, wherein the can is electrically isolated from the first and second terminals and is electrically connected to the one or more reference electrodes to provide terminals for the one or more reference electrodes,

wherein the battery is a lithium ion battery and the working electrodes comprise electroactive materials capable lithium uptake and release, and the active material for the one or more reference electrodes is coated onto at least part of a wall of the can.

4. A lithium ion battery system, comprising:

(a) one or more lithium ion cells in electrical connection, each said cell comprising:

first and second working electrodes separated by separator membranes, the working electrodes capable of lithium ion uptake and release, the first working electrode comprising a first electroactive layer on a first current collector, and the second working electrode comprising a second electroactive layer on a second current collector; and

one or more reference electrodes, each reference electrode electronically isolated from the working electrodes and having a separate tab or current collector exiting the cell and providing an additional terminal for electrical measurement;

(b) a battery management system comprising:

a battery state-of-charge monitor, said monitor being operable for receiving information relating to the potential difference of the working electrodes and the potential of one or more of the working electrodes vs. the one or more reference electrodes, and

a balancing module.

5. The battery system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more lithium ion cells comprise cell pairs, and wherein the balancing module can evaluate the relative voltage levels of adjacent cell pairs and redistribute charge between adjacent cells to mitigate differences in the cell voltages of the pairs.