Monday  |  Pecos  |  10:40 AM–11:00 AM

#14583–Ultrasonic and Modal Analysis of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Damage Detection and Mechanical Characterization

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are a critical component of next generation energy storage and distribution, and they have a particularly central role in powering the next generation of electric vehicles (EVs). The scale of their importance for commercial application is evidenced by projections that as many as 45% of all new car sales will be fully electric by 2035 and that LIBs will be the battery of choice for renewable energy storage systems. Additionally, LIBs must operate reliably in demanding loading scenarios where electrical, thermal, and mechanical damage is likely. It is therefore critically important to be able to assess a battery’s current state of charge (SOC) and to detect damage within a cell non-destructively and quickly to ensure system reliability and safety. This presentation will present the viability of modal analysis of LIBs to detect SOC and damage. Ultrasonic measurements are taken on 10Ah Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) pouch cells as they cycle from 0% to 100% SOC, while modal analysis is conducted on the same cells at various SOC levels between 0% and 100% using laser vibrometry. Changes in the cell’s resonance frequencies are correlated with SOC level. These changes in resonance frequencies are corroborated with changes in the ultrasonic data. Additionally modal analysis is performed on cells which have undergone moderate thermal abuse up to 150°C. The results of these modal tests provide a proof of concept for not only modal analysis as a diagnostic tool to detect the cell SOC but also as a future application for the mechanical characterization of LIBs in a laboratory setting or in situ.

Tyler McGee   University of Texas at Austin
Ofodike Ezekoye   University of Texas at Austin
Michael Haberman   University of Texas at Austin