Diagnosing the state of lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery health is becoming increasingly important, as city authorities respond to sporadic battery fires. There’s growing consensus the culprits are cheap imports, although even the best brands are not immune. Back in July 2022 there was already talk of using battery magnetic field analysis as a diagnostic tool.
Battery Magnetic Field And Charge – Discharge Performance
The July 2022 analysis (see link below) was the work of scientists at School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Dianji University. Two of their core discoveries were:
- The state of charge moderated the anode’s response to an external magnetic field.
- This response attenuated (reduced in force) as the number of cycles increased.
The Shanghai Dianji University found little research on the influence of a magnetic field on the performance of lithium-ion batteries. Although they suspected that a relationship existed.
Using a Magnetic Field to Monitor Battery Health
A team from School of Physics and Astronomy, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China published a follow-up report in Nature on May 22, 2024 (see second link below). This document proposed a method of assessing battery health without disturbing the operating chemistry.
The Sun Yat-Sen University approach involves analyzing lithium-ion batteries by assessing their magnetic properties. Their approach merges a two-dimensional battery model with a simulated battery magnetic field. This in turn enables the scientists to estimate the magnetic field during charging and discharging.
Looking Into the Future With This Approach
The team from Sun Yat-Sen University imagine using the magnetic field distribution to infer the health status of lithium-ion batteries, including localizing faults. These might, for example, include the presence of internal short circuits, cracks, and other concerns.
Refining this technology further could help predict battery faults before they occur, and guide battery development. The next stage of this important work may involve improving the accuracy of these predictions, by refining the model further.
Preview Image
Novel Zinc-Ion Battery in Magnetic Field
Two Experiments to Plot a Magnetic Field
Preview Image: Li-Ion in Magnetic Field
