THERMOGRAPHY FOR BATTERY COMPONENT QUALITY ASSURANCE

• US 20140294036A1
• Filed: 10/25/2012
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (The Trustees of Purdue University (d/b/a Purdue University))
• Original Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (The Trustees of Purdue University (d/b/a Purdue University))
• Inventors: Sadeghi, Farshid, Caruthers, James Michael, Adams, Douglas E., David, Anand, O'Regan, Peter R., Sharp, Nathan Daniel, Suchomel, Mark David
• Granted Patent: US 9,689,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/5
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/72 Investigating presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0413 Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/058 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for the detection of irregularities in a thin film by measurement of transient thermal response.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a process for manufacturing batteries, comprising:

providing a thin film battery component having two opposing sides, a source of energy, and a radiation imaging sensor;

pulsing energy from the source onto one side of the thin film battery component;

detecting radiation with the sensor from the other side of the thin film battery component.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said pulsing is for a first time period and said detecting is for a second time period that occurs after the first time period.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said pulsing is a single pulse, and which further comprises preparing a thermal image of said component after said detecting.

7. The method of claim 6 which further comprises correcting the thermal image with a time-based first order filter.

8. The method of claim 6 which further comprises correcting the thermal image by calculating a plane of best fit of the image and modifying the image with the plane.

13. The method of claim 1 which further comprises capturing a thermal image of the component before said pulsing.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the source of energy substantially emits in a first spectrum and the sensor substantially detects in a second spectrum different than the first spectrum.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said pulsing is for less than about one tenth of a second.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the component has a coating applied on the other side.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the component includes substantially planar metallic foil having a coating on the other side.

55. The method of claim 1 wherein the thin film battery component has a thermal time constant TAU wherein:

TAU(THICKNESS**2)/ALPHA

wherein THICKNESS is the thickness of the component;

ALPHA is the thermal conductivity of the component; and

≈

means corresponds approximately equal to;

said source is adapted and configured for producing an energy pulse having a width, and the width is less than the quantity [about 2×

TAU].

64. The method of claim 1 which further comprises capturing a thermal image of the component before the substantially one dimensional thermal response through the thickness of the thin film battery component dissipates in the thickness and width of the thin film battery component.

2-3. -3. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

9-12. -12. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

16-21. -21. (canceled)

23-24. -24. (canceled)

26-29. -29. (canceled)

32-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A system for monitoring a process for manufacturing thin film battery component, comprising:

a radiation sensor providing a signal corresponding to the temperature of the film of the thin film battery component;

an actuatable source of radiation adapted and configured to emit radiation in repetitive short pulses directed at the thin film battery component; and

a computer having memory and software, said computer being operably connected to said source to actuate a series of pulses, said computer preparing data in memory corresponding to the signal;

wherein said sensor and said source are arranged on opposite sides of the thin film battery component.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said sensor has an inlet for receiving radiation, said source is oriented to emit radiation generally toward the inlet, and said sensor and said source are located such that the battery component substantially blocks radiation from being received through the inlet.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein said sensor is an imaging sensor.

39. The system of claim 35 which further comprises a conveyor for moving the thin film battery component in a direction, and a position tracking system supporting said sensor and said source, said position tracking system being movable in the direction and opposite to the direction to maintain said sensor and said source in fixed relative relationship to each other and to move said sensor and said source in rolling unison with movement of a region of the battery component being analyzed.

40. The system of claim 35 wherein the component is one of a cathode or anode.

45. The system of claim 35 wherein said software creates data corresponding to the signal from a single pulse of said source.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the data corresponds to a two dimensional representation of the temperature of the battery component.

53. The system of claim 35 wherein said software activates a short pulse of radiation, and said software records the signal after the pulse has ended.

38. (canceled)

41-44. -44. (canceled)

47-52. -52. (canceled)

54. (canceled)

56-63. -63. (canceled)

65-68. -68. (canceled)