Multi-short circuit mode electrochemical cell test method
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsCharles J Patrissi, Joseph H Fontaine, Jian Tan
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Abstract
A method for testing an internal short circuits in an electrochemical cell is provided. A transistor is implanted in the cell, and it is electrically connected to a controllable voltage source. The transistor is joined between positive and negative components of the cell. The transistor is maintained at high resistance before start of testing. The voltage source is used to reduce electrical resistance in the transistor to simulate an internal short circuit in the electrochemical cell. Thermal runaway propagation in the cell is measured.
Claims16
A method for testing an internal short circuit comprising the steps of:
- providing an electrochemical cell for testing having a negative active material, a positive active material, a positive current collector, and a negative current collector;
- defining a location for test within the provided electrochemical cell;
- implanting a transistor having a source, a drain, and a gate at the location for test in said electrochemical cell;
- electrically joining said transistor source to a controllable voltage source and one of a negative active material and a negative current collector of the electrochemical cell;
- electrically joining said transistor drain to one of a positive active material and a positive current collector of the electrochemical cell;
- electrically joining said transistor gate to the controllable voltage source;
- maintaining said transistor gate at the same voltage as said transistor source utilizing the controllable voltage source before beginning testing;
- reducing the electrical resistance between said transistor source and said transistor drain by utilizing the controllable voltage source to change the voltage at said transistor gate to simulate an internal short circuit;
- and
- measuring thermal runaway propagation through the cell as electrical resistance is reduced by at least one of measuring a temperature of the electrochemical cell over time, and measuring voltage output of the electrochemical cell over time.
A method for testing an internal short circuit comprising the steps of:
- providing the electrochemical cell for testing having a negative active material, a positive active material, a positive current collector, and a negative current collector;
- defining a location for test within the provided electrochemical cell;
- providing a controllable voltage electrical source;
- implanting a transistor having a source lead, a drain lead, and a gate lead at the location for test in said electrochemical cell;
- providing a block of a dielectric material;
- mounting the source lead and the drain lead on the block;
- positioning the block in the electrochemical cell wherein said drain lead is electrically joined to one of the positive active material and the positive current collector of the electrochemical cell, and said source lead is electrically joined to the controllable voltage source and one of the negative active material and the negative current collector of the electrochemical cell;
- electrically joining said transistor gate to the controllable voltage source;
- maintaining said transistor gate at the same voltage as said transistor source utilizing the controllable voltage source;
- reducing the electrical resistance between said transistor source and said transistor drain by utilizing the controllable voltage source to change the voltage at said transistor gate to simulate an internal short circuit;
- and
- measuring thermal runaway propagation through the cell as electrical resistance is reduced by at least one of measuring a temperature of the electrochemical cell over time, and measuring voltage output of the electrochemical cell over time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.