The research and development (R&D) community is continually pushing for high energy density Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) by innovating materials, designs, and operating conditions.¹ We expect these batteries to operate under a range of conditions (e.g., fast charging, fast discharging, low temperatures, etc.).^1,2 Advanced diagnostics could play a key role in ensuring an extended life of these energy-dense LiBs while ensuring their safety. Therefore, a parallel effort is enabling advanced diagnostics and prognostics to ensure the safe operation of these batteries under the stated conditions throughout their service lives.

Many researchers have proposed different performance and safety diagnostics of LiB in their early stages, often using small or specially designed cells through controlled tests.¹ Extending these diagnostics to automotive grade cells in real life environments has not been performed extensively to understand their uncertainties. This gap in development between the early R&D stage to near the deployment stage is impeding their maturity; hence, delaying their adoption in their expected applications.

In this presentation, we will discuss the unreliability issues of different electrochemical and electromechanical diagnostics related to LiBs under different safety critical conditions when cell size, age, and operating conditions changes. We will discuss the underlying issues of unreliability in different diagnostics with experimental data, followed by a discussion of several emerging safety diagnostics. Finally, the need for independent evaluation of LiB safety diagnostics along with some logistical pathways to do so will be discussed.

References

1. T.R. Tanim, E. J. Dufek, and S. V. Sazhin, MRS Bulletin, 46, 420-428 (2021)
2. S. Ahmed et al., J. Power Sources, 367, 250–262 (2017).