Reliable batterypacks are a key component of electrified vehicles, for home storage of solar energy and to maintain quality of power in the electric grid. The global competition forces the battery producer to increase the energy density and to reduce the costs of their products and to keep an acceptable safety level at the same time. It is very challenging to detect and anticipate any failure in such systems so that power can be reduced, and a service request can be sent, before catastrophic damage can occure. Li-Ion battery packs can have failures which are hard to detect with classical monitoring equipment. Such failures are localized hot-spots, emission of electrolyte vapor from damaged Li-Ion cells into the pack housing, condensation of humidity, corrosion and unwanted electrolysis. The aim of this project is to develop and test a new complementary battery-monitoring technology based on low-cost gas sensors and functional polymers.

Virtual Vehicle
Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH, PCCL
SAMSUNG SDI Battery Systems GmbH
Sensirion Automotive Solutions Switzerland AG
UnravelTEC, c/o Science Park Graz