Tuesday, 15 May 2018: 14:40
Room 607 (Washington State Convention Center)
We are presenting battery assessment technology based on non-destructive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques. The approach works on rechargeable batteries (for example, Li-ion batteries), even when the cells are encased in conductive material. For example, even commercial-type cell-phone batteries can be analyzed with this method. The technique is based on the measurement of magnetic susceptibility changes within cells, as well as, the measurement of current distributions. With this technique, hence, it is possible to diagnose the state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) of cells. The measurement is fast (a couple of seconds), and could be adapted to a range of cell types. We demonstrate the technique with a selection of cell types, defects, cell chemistries, and form factors. The Figure shows the a schematic of the setup and examples of images of different cells which are used to diagnose the SOC/SOH. The technique represents a new opportunity for nondestructive cell diagnostics, and hence could be of great help in the development of next-generation batteries. We demonstrate the identification of defects, state of charge, and classification of cells based on different types of features.