Leak detection in prismatic blade battery cells

A method for leak testing a prismatic blade battery cell, comprising, with a system having a system controller:

• supporting and transporting a blade battery cell to a testing fixture of the system;
• extending a first vacuum chamber assembly from a retracted position to an extended position;
• engaging, with the first vacuum chamber assembly, a first distal end of the blade battery cell;
• extending a second vacuum chamber assembly from a retracted position to an extended position;
• engaging, with the second vacuum chamber assembly, a second distal end of the blade battery cell;
• extending a third vacuum chamber assembly from a retracted position to an extended position;
• engaging, with the third vacuum chamber assembly, a vent plug of the blade battery cell;
• and
• leak testing the blade battery cell by either one of:
• leak testing the blade battery cell with a pressurized trace gas before electrolyte is present within the blade battery cell;
• or
• electrolyte leak testing the blade battery cell when electrolyte is present within the blade battery cell.

A system for leak testing a prismatic blade battery cell, comprising:

• a system controller;
• a slatted conveyor adapted to support and transport blade battery cells to a testing fixture;
• the testing fixture including:
• a first vacuum chamber assembly adapted to selectively extend, from a retracted position to an extended position and engage a first distal end of a blade battery cell, and including:
• a horizontally moveable left chamber wall and a horizontally moveable right chamber wall, the left chamber wall and the right chamber wall moveable from a retracted position, toward one another, to an engaged position, wherein the left and right chamber walls engage side walls of the blade battery cell at the first distal end and clamp the first distal end therebetween;
• and
• a vertically moveable upper chamber wall and a vertically moveable lower chamber wall, the upper chamber wall and the lower chamber wall moveable from a retracted position, toward one another, to an engaged position, wherein the upper and lower chamber walls engage a top surface and a bottom surface of the blade battery cell at the first distal end and clamp the first distal end therebetween;
• wherein, when the first distal end of the blade battery cell is clamped therein, the left chamber wall, the right chamber wall, the upper chamber wall and the lower chamber wall define a sealed first vacuum chamber that encapsulates the first distal end of the blade battery cell;
• a second vacuum chamber assembly adapted to selectively extend, from a retracted position to an extended position and engage a second distal end of the blade battery cell and including:
• a horizontally moveable left chamber wall and a horizontally moveable right chamber wall, the left chamber wall and the right chamber wall moveable from a retracted position, toward one another, to an engaged position, wherein the left and right chamber walls engage the side walls of the blade battery cell at the second distal end and clamp the second distal end therebetween;
• and
• a vertically moveable upper chamber wall and a vertically moveable lower chamber wall, the upper chamber wall and the lower chamber wall moveable from a retracted position, toward one another, to an engaged position, wherein the upper and lower chamber walls engage the top surface and the bottom surface of the blade battery cell at the second distal end and clamp the second distal end therebetween;
• wherein, when the second distal end of the blade battery cell is clamped therein, the left chamber wall, the right chamber wall, the upper chamber wall and the lower chamber wall define a sealed second vacuum chamber that encapsulates the second distal end of the blade battery cell;
• a third vacuum chamber assembly adapted to selectively extend, from a retracted position to an extended position and engage a vent plug of the blade battery cell and including:
• a horizontally moveable rear chamber wall and a horizontally moveable front chamber wall, the rear chamber wall and the front chamber wall moveable from a retracted position, toward one another, to an engaged position, wherein the rear and front chamber walls engage the side walls of the blade battery cell between the first and second distal ends and clamp the blade battery cell therebetween, wherein, when the blade battery cell is clamped therein, the rear chamber wall supports the blade battery cell and the front chamber wall defines a sealed third vacuum chamber that encapsulates the vent plug of the blade battery cell;
• wherein, upon engagement of the first vacuum chamber with the first distal end, engagement of the second vacuum chamber with the second distal end and engagement of the third vacuum chamber with the vent plug, the system is adapted to leak test the blade battery cell by either one of:
• leak testing the blade battery cell with a pressurized trace gas before electrolyte is present within the blade battery cell, wherein the first distal end of the blade battery cell includes an electrolyte fill port adapted to allow electrolyte to be fed into the blade battery cell and the first vacuum chamber assembly includes an electrolyte nozzle in communication with a trace gas supply module and adapted to engage the electrolyte fill port, and feed pressurized trace gas from the trace gas supply module, through the electrolyte port and into the blade battery cell when the first vacuum chamber assembly engages the first distal end of the blade battery cell;
• or
• electrolyte leak testing the blade battery cell when electrolyte is present within the blade battery cell, wherein:
• the first, second and third vacuum chambers are in communication with a common vacuum pump adapted to generate a vacuum drawing gas from each of the first, second and third vacuum chambers;
• a first test chamber is positioned between the first vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump, wherein gas drawn from the first vacuum chamber passes through the first test chamber;
• a second test chamber is positioned between the second vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump, wherein gas drawn from the second vacuum chamber passes through the second test chamber;
• a third test chamber is positioned between the third vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump, wherein gas drawn from the third vacuum chamber passes through the third test chamber;
• wherein, the system is adapted to individually monitor gases passing through each one of the first, second and third test chambers to identify electrolyte leakage from the first distal end, the second distal end and the vent plug of the blade battery cell.