Systems and methods for ultrasound inspection of battery cells

A method for inspecting a battery cell, the method comprising:

• configuring a predetermined number of target points on surfaces of the battery cell;
• interrogating the battery cell by:
• transmitting ultrasound signals into the battery cell at each of the target points, detecting ultrasound reflected from and/or transmitted through the battery cell at each of the target points, and
• generating response signals from the detected ultrasound at each of the target points;
• creating a hyper pixel for each target point, wherein each hyper pixel includes a representation of the response signals at each target point;
• and
• determining characteristics of the battery cell based upon the hyper pixels for each target point,
• wherein the interrogating is performed while the battery cell is immersed in an electrically non-conducting fluid.

A battery cell inspection system configured to perform ultrasound interrogation of battery cells, the inspection system comprising:

• ultrasound transducers configured to direct ultrasound at target points of each battery cell in response to the ultrasound transducers receiving excitation signals, to detect the ultrasound directed at the target points that is either reflected from or transmitted through each battery cell, and to generate response signals based upon the detected ultrasound;
• a controller and a transport module configured to transport the ultrasound transducers without transporting the battery cells, or to transport the battery cells without transporting the ultrasound transducer, to thereby align the ultrasound transducers with the target points;
• a signal drive and acquisition system (SDM) configured to generate the excitation signals and to receive the response signals corresponding with the ultrasound interrogation of the target points, and to forward the response signals to the controller;
• and
• a processing system,
• wherein the ultrasound transducers and each battery cell are immersed in an electrically non-conducting fluid during the directing of the ultrasound and the detection of the ultrasound,
• the controller is configured to create a hyper pixel for each of the target points,
• each hyper pixel includes a representation of the response signals generated for each of the target points, and
• the processing system is configured to receive the hyper pixels from the controller and to determine information concerning the battery cells based upon the hyper pixels.