Monitoring state of charge and volume expansion in lithium-ion batteries: an approach using surface mounted thin-film graphene sensors

Accurate monitoring of battery cell state of charge (SoC) and state of health (SoH) is vital to the safe and effective operation of rechargeable battery systems such as those in electric vehicles yet remains a challenge while the system is in use. A new surface-mounted sensor enabling simple and rapid monitoring of lithium-ion battery cell SoC and SoH is demonstrated. Small changes in cell volume brought about by the expansion and contraction of electrode materials during charge and discharge are detected through monitoring the changes in electrical resistance of a graphene film in the sensor. The relationship between sensor resistance and cell SoC/voltage was extracted, enabling rapid SoC determination without interruption to cell operation. The sensor was also capable of detecting early indications of irreversible cell expansion due to common cell failure modes, enabling mitigating steps to be taken to avoid catastrophic cell failure.