Methods for Quantifying Expansion in Lithium-Ion Battery Cells Resulting from Cycling: A Review

Energies, vol. 17, pp. 1566

Abstract

Significant efforts are being made across academia and industry to better characterize lithium ion battery cells as reliance on the technology for applications ranging from green energy storage to electric mobility increases. The measurement of short-term and long-term volume expansion in lithium-ion battery cells is relevant for several reasons. For instance, expansion provides information about the quality and homogeneity of battery cells during charge and discharge cycles. Expansion also provides information about aging over the cell’s lifetime. Expansion measurements are useful for the evaluation of new materials and the improvement of end-of-line quality tests during cell production. These measurements may also indicate the safety of battery cells by aiding in predicting the state of charge and the state of health over the lifetime of the cell. Expansion measurements can also assess inhomogeneities on the electrodes, in addition to defects such as gas accumulation and lithium plating. In this review, we first establish the mechanisms through which reversible and irreversible volume expansion occur. We then explore the current state-of-the-art for both contact and noncontact measurements of volume expansion. This review compiles the existing literature on four approaches to contact measurement and eight noncontact measurement approaches. Finally, we discuss the different considerations when selecting an appropriate measurement technique.

Authors 5

1. Tessa Krause corresponding Aachen Chair for Technology of Optical Systems TOS

   Precitec (Germany) · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair for Technology of Optical Systems TOS, RWTH Aachen University, Steinbachstraße 15, 52074 Aachen, Germany

   Precitec GmbH & Co., KG, Draisstraße 1, 76571 Gaggenau, Germany

2. Daniel Nusko

   Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110 Freiburg, Germany

3. Luciana Pitta Bauermann corresponding

   Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110 Freiburg, Germany

4. Matthias Vetter

   Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110 Freiburg, Germany

5. Carlo Holly Aachen Chair for Technology of Optical Systems TOS Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT

   Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair for Technology of Optical Systems TOS, RWTH Aachen University, Steinbachstraße 15, 52074 Aachen, Germany

   Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Steinbachstraße 15, 52074 Aachen, Germany