Battery Health Assessment Using Ultrasonic Testing

Batteries are used throughout many sectors for energy storage, but issues with degradation related to both use and time can affect their efficiency. As the world depends more and more on batteries for uses like electronics, electric vehicles, and storing renewable sources of energy, assessing the health of these batteries is increasingly relevant. Current methods to check battery health rely on checking the voltage or current and using state-estimation software. These methods fail to account for mechanical and chemical changes in the battery as it ages. Our research consists of using ultrasonic testing to assess battery health. We tested new and old iPhone 6 Li-ion batteries to detect structural differences due to degradation. We found that the old battery had more structural imperfections which correlated with how well the batteries held a charge. The results suggest ultrasonic modeling and testing can give a picture of the current structure of the battery, leading to better diagnosis of battery health. Furthermore, this approach for real-time battery health monitoring can lead to more efficient design and management of energy storage grids.