Systems and methods for in-line leak detection of battery cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026081237-A1
Application number	US-202418888394-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 18, 2024
Priority date	Sep 18, 2024
Publication date	Mar 19, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system configured to test battery cells. The system includes: a movable platform; a plurality of test stations movable by the movable platform, each one of the plurality of test stations configured to cooperate with a pallet on which the battery cells are seated, each one of the plurality of test stations including probes that are movable into cooperation with the battery cells and configured to inject gas into each one of the battery cells; and a camera adjacent to the movable platform and configured to detect leakage of the gas out from within any of the battery cells.

First claim

What is claimed is

1 . A system configured to test battery cells, the system comprising:
a movable platform; a plurality of test stations movable by the movable platform, each one of the plurality of test stations configured to cooperate with a pallet on which the battery cells are seated, each one of the plurality of test stations including probes that are movable into cooperation with the battery cells and configured to inject gas into each one of the battery cells; and a camera adjacent to the movable platform and configured to detect leakage of the gas out from within any of the battery cells.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the movable platform is circular.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an input conveyor line configured to transport the pallet to the movable platform and an output conveyor line configured to transport the pallet away from the movable platform after the battery cells are scanned by the camera.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each one of the plurality of test stations includes an entry gate and an exit gate spaced apart to accommodate the pallet therebetween, each one of the entry gate and the exit gate is configured to be opened and closed to permit transport of the pallet to and from the plurality of test stations.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the probes are movable vertically.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas is carbon dioxide.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera is an infrared camera including a filter configured to block transmission of infrared radiation outside of a wavelength range of 4-5 μm.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each one of the plurality of test stations further includes a back plate on a side of the pallet opposite to the camera, the back plate configured as a background radiation source for the camera and configured to be heated to a temperature of 10° C.-30° C. greater than an ambient temperature.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a pump configured to pump the gas through the probes to the battery cells at a pressure of no greater than 1 psi.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the gas injected into the battery cells is a first gas injected prior to addition of an electrolyte within the battery cells; and the camera is further configured to detect leakage of a second gas out from within any of the battery cells subsequent to installation of an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, the second gas is different from the first gas.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the camera is an infrared camera including a filter configured to block transmission of infrared radiation outside of a wavelength range of 5-12 μm to detect the second gas.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the movable platform is configured to move a first station of the plurality of test stations to a first position at which a first pallet with a first group of the battery cells thereon is coupled to the first station between an entry gate and an exit gate of the first station, the battery cells devoid of an electrolyte; the movable platform is configured to move the first station to a second position at which a carrier is configured to move the probes into contact with the battery cells and a pump is configured to pump gas through the probes into the battery cells; the movable platform is configured to move the first station to a third position at which the probes remain in contact with the battery cells and the battery cells remain filled with the gas; the movable platform is configured to move the first station to a fourth position at which the camera is configured to scan the battery cells for leakage of the gas out from within the battery cells, and the carrier is configured move the probes away from contacting the battery cells after the camera has scanned the battery cells for leakage of the gas; the movable platform is configured to move the first station to a fifth position at which the exit gate is configured to open to permit the pallet to be transported away from the movable platform; and the movable platform is configured to move the first station back to the first position to accept an additional pallet with additional battery cells for testing.

13 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising identification tags included with the pallet and the additional pallet to track movement and results of the camera.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of test stations include the first station and seven additional stations identical to the first station to simultaneously test additional ones of the battery cells.

15 . A system configured to test battery cells, the system comprising:
a rotatable platform; a plurality of test stations spaced apart in a circle about the rotatable platform and configured to rotate with the rotatable platform; probes included with each of the plurality of test stations, the probes are vertically movable into cooperation with the battery cells and configured to inject gas into the battery cells; an infrared camera adjacent to the rotatable platform and configured to detect leakage of the gas out from within any of the battery cells; an input conveyor line in cooperation with the rotatable platform and configured to feed the battery cells to the rotatable platform; and an output conveyor line in cooperation with the rotatable platform to carry the battery cells away from the rotatable platform.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein each one of the plurality of test stations includes a heated backplate configured as a background radiation source for the infrared camera.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the infrared camera includes a filter configured to block transmission of infrared radiation outside of a wavelength of 4-5 μm.

18 . A method for testing battery cells comprising:
transporting pallets with the battery cells thereon to a rotatable platform including a plurality of test stations, the plurality of test stations including probes movable into cooperation with the battery cells and configured to inject gas into the battery cells; coupling the pallets the plurality of test stations; moving the probes into cooperation with openings defined by the battery cells; injecting gas through the probes and into the battery cells through the openings; rotating the rotatable platform to move the plurality of test stations and the battery cells to an infrared camera configured to detect leakage of the gas out from within any of the battery cells; and with the openings of the battery cells plugged by the probes, activating the infrared camera to detect leakage of the gas out from within any of the battery cells at areas apart from the openings and assessing structural integrity of the battery cells based on detection of the gas having leaked out from within of the battery cells.

19 . The method of claim 18 , moving the pallets with the battery cells thereon to the rotatable platform across an input conveyor line in cooperation with the rotatable platform, and moving the pallets with the battery cells thereon away from the rotatable platform across an output conveyor line in cooperation with the rotatable platform.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the gas is a first gas, the method further comprising, subsequent to sealing the openings of the battery cells, activating the infrared camera to detect leakage of a second gas out from within the battery cells, the second gas is different from the first gas.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Ghassemi-Armaki Hassan
• Mohammadpour Masoud
• Zeitvogel Randolph
• Carlson Blair E

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• G01M3/186

  for containers, e.g. radiators · CPC title

• G01M3/38

  by using light (G01M3/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01M3/002

  by using thermal means · CPC title

• G01M3/226

  for containers, e.g. radiators · CPC title