Gas analysis system for battery cell

Abstract

A gas analysis system for a battery cell, comprising: a degassing chamber; a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the degassing chamber to remove air from the degassing chamber; a vent port configured to selectively vent the degassing chamber; the battery cell is packaged in the degassing chamber; and a gas detector in fluid communication with the degassing chamber. The gas detector is configured to detect, by gas species separation, at least one parameter of the gas released from the battery cell into the degassing chamber, and the at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell is indicative of a manufacturing quality of the battery cell. The system includes at least one valve coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to selectively control flow of gas of the battery cell to the gas detector.

Description

[0001] introduction

[0002] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. To the extent described in this section, the works of the presently named inventors and aspects of the description that may not constitute prior art at the time of filing are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art to the present disclosure. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to a gas analysis system for a battery cell including a gas detector for detecting gas released from a battery cell pouch during manufacture or testing of the battery cell. Background Art

[0004] Vehicles may use battery cells to provide power for various aspects of the vehicle. The increase in production yield and volume of vehicle battery cells being manufactured is driving the need for improved battery cell quality assurance measures. Currently, battery cell quality assurance occurs at the end of the battery cell production line, which invests a lot of time and materials to produce substandard battery cells. Summary of the invention

[0005] A battery cell gas analysis system includes: a degassing chamber; a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the degassing chamber to remove air from the degassing chamber; a vent port configured to selectively ventilate the degassing chamber; a battery cell encapsulated in the degassing chamber; and a gas detector in fluid communication with the degassing chamber. The gas detector is configured to detect at least one parameter of gas released from the battery cell into the degassing chamber by gas species separation, and at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell indicates the manufacturing quality of the battery cell. The system includes at least one valve connected between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to selectively control the flow of gas from the battery cell to the gas detector.

[0006] In other features, the battery cell is a bag-type battery cell, and the battery cell gas analysis system also includes a puncture knife and a heat sealing rod, the puncture knife is configured to puncture the bag of the battery cell to release the gas of the battery cell into the degassing chamber, and the heat sealing rod is configured to seal the bag of the battery cell after the gas of the battery cell is released.

[0007] In other features, the system includes at least one of a constriction passage and a pressure control valve coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to reduce a pressure of gas from the battery cell flowing toward the gas detector.

[0008] In other features, the system includes a sample storage chamber coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to receive the gas of the battery cell before the gas of the battery cell flows to the gas detector.

[0009] In other features, the gas detector is a first gas detector, and the battery cell gas analysis system also includes a gas flow line extending from the sample storage chamber, and a second gas detector fluidically connected to the gas flow line, the second gas detector being configured to detect at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell by separating gas species.

[0010] In other features, the system includes a sample bottle port in fluid communication with the sample storage chamber, the sample bottle port being configured to removably couple with a sample bottle to allow gas from the battery cell to flow into the sample bottle, thereby removing at least a portion of the gas from the battery cell from the battery cell gas analysis system.

[0011] In other features, the gas detector is in fluid communication with the degassing chamber via a first gas flow line, the gas detector is in fluid communication with the sample storage chamber via a second gas flow line, and the first gas flow line is separate from the second gas flow line.

[0012] In other features, the gas detector is in fluid communication with a gas sampling tube extending into the degassing chamber, and an opening of the gas sampling tube is adjacent to a puncture site of a pouch of the battery cell.

[0013] In other features, the system includes a gas purge line in fluid communication with the gas detector to supply a purge gas to clean the gas detector after analyzing the gas of the battery cell.

[0014] In other features, the gas detector is a first gas detector, and the battery cell gas analysis system also includes a sensor kit, the sensor kit including: one or more additional gas detectors, the additional gas detectors are configured to analyze the gas of the battery cell by gas type resolution; and a gas processing module, the gas processing module is configured to receive the gas of the battery cell from the degassing chamber and allow the gas of the battery cell to flow through the sensor kit.

[0015] In other features, the gas detector is a first gas detector configured to detect a first parameter of a gas in a battery cell, the battery cell gas analysis system includes a second gas detector connected to the degassing chamber fluid, the second gas detector is configured to detect a second parameter of the battery cell gas by separating gas species, and the second parameter is different from the first parameter.

[0016] In other features, the gas detector includes a mass spectrometer. In other features, the gas detector includes a gas chromatography system. In other features, the gas detector includes an infrared absorption spectroscopy system.

[0017] A battery cell gas analysis system comprises: a degassing chamber; a vacuum pump connected to the degassing chamber fluid to remove air from the degassing chamber; a battery cell encapsulated in the degassing chamber; a gas detector connected to the degassing chamber fluid, the gas detector being configured to detect at least one gas parameter of the gas of the battery cell by gas species separation, the at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell indicating the manufacturing quality of the battery cell; and at least one valve connected between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to selectively control the flow of the gas of the battery cell to the gas detector.

[0018] In other features, the gas detector includes at least one of a mass spectrometer, a gas chromatography system, or an infrared absorption system. In other features, the system includes at least one of a constriction channel and a pressure control coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to reduce the pressure of the gas of the battery cell flowing to the gas detector.

[0019] In other features, the system includes a sample storage chamber coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to receive the gas of the battery cell before the gas of the battery cell flows to the gas detector.

[0020] A battery cell gas analysis system comprises: a degassing chamber; a ventilation port configured to selectively ventilate the degassing chamber; a gas detector connected to the degassing chamber fluid, the gas detector configured to detect at least one parameter of gas released from the battery cell into the degassing chamber by gas species separation, the at least one parameter of the battery cell gas indicating the manufacturing quality of the battery cell; and at least one valve connected between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to selectively control the flow of gas from the battery cell to the gas detector.

[0021] In other features, the gas detector includes at least one of a mass spectrometer, a gas chromatography system, or an infrared absorption system.

[0022] The present invention provides the following technical solutions.

[0023] Technical Solution 1. A battery cell gas analysis system, comprising:

[0024] Degassing chamber;

[0025] a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the degassing chamber to remove air from the degassing chamber;

[0026] a vent port configured to selectively vent the degassing chamber;

[0027] a battery cell, the battery cell being enclosed in the degassing chamber;

[0028] a gas detector in fluid communication with the degassing chamber, the gas detector being configured to detect at least one parameter of gas released from the battery cell into the degassing chamber by gas species separation, the at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell being indicative of a manufacturing quality of the battery cell; and

[0029] At least one valve is coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to selectively control the flow of the gas of the battery cell to the gas detector.

[0030] Technical Solution 2. A battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 1, wherein the battery cell is a pouch-shaped battery, and the battery cell gas analysis system further comprises:

[0031] a puncture knife configured to puncture the bag of the battery cell to release the gas of the battery cell into the degassing chamber; and

[0032] A heat sealing bar is configured to seal the pouch of the battery cell after the gas of the battery cell is released.

[0033] Technical Solution 3. The battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 1 also includes at least one of a contraction channel and a pressure control valve connected between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to reduce the pressure of the gas in the battery cell flowing toward the gas detector.

[0034] Technical Solution 4. The battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 1 further includes a sample storage chamber connected between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to receive the gas of the battery cell before the gas of the battery cell flows to the gas detector.

[0035] Technical Solution 5. The battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 4, wherein the gas detector is a first gas detector, and the battery cell gas analysis system further comprises:

[0036] a gas flow line extending from the sample storage chamber; and

[0037] A second gas detector is in fluid communication with the gas flow line, the second gas detector being configured to detect at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell by gas species separation.

[0038] Technical Solution 6. The battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 4 further includes a sample bottle port connected to the sample storage chamber fluid, and the sample bottle port is configured to be removably connected to a sample bottle so that the gas of the battery cell flows into the sample bottle, thereby removing at least a portion of the gas of the battery cell from the battery cell gas analysis system.

[0039] Technical Solution 7. A battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 4, wherein:

[0040] The gas detector is in fluid communication with the degassing chamber via a first gas flow line;

[0041] The gas detector is in fluid communication with the sample storage chamber via a second gas flow line; and

[0042] The first gas flow line is separate from the second gas flow line.

[0043] Technical Solution 8. A battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 1, wherein:

[0044] The gas detector is in fluid communication with a gas sampling tube extending into the degassing chamber; and

[0045] The opening of the gas sampling tube is adjacent to the puncture location of the bag of the battery cell.

[0046] Technical Solution 9. The battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 1 further includes a gas purge line fluidly connected to the gas detector to supply a purge gas to clean the gas detector after analyzing the gas in the battery cell.

[0047] Technical solution 10. The battery cell gas analysis system according to technical solution 1, wherein the gas detector is a first gas detector, and the battery cell gas analysis system further comprises:

[0048] a sensor kit including one or more additional gas detectors configured to analyze the gas of the battery cell by gas species discrimination; and

[0049] A gas processing module is configured to receive the gas from the battery cell from the degassing chamber and flow the gas from the battery cell through the sensor assembly.

[0050] Technical Solution 11. A battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 1, wherein:

[0051] The gas detector is a first gas detector configured to detect a first parameter of the gas of the battery cell;

[0052] The battery cell gas analysis system includes a second gas detector in fluid communication with the degassing chamber;

[0053] The second gas detector is configured to detect a second parameter of the gas of the battery cell by gas species separation; and

[0054] The second parameter is different from the first parameter.

[0055] Technical Solution 12. A battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 1, wherein the gas detector comprises a mass spectrometer.

[0056] Technical Solution 13. A battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 12, wherein the gas detector comprises a gas chromatography system.

[0057] Technical Solution 14. A battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 13, wherein the gas detector comprises an infrared absorption spectroscopy system.

[0058] Technical Solution 15. A battery cell gas analysis system, comprising:

[0059] Degassing chamber;

[0060] a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the degassing chamber to remove air from the degassing chamber;

[0061] a battery cell, the battery cell being enclosed in the degassing chamber;

[0062] a gas detector in fluid communication with the degassing chamber, the gas detector being configured to detect at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell by gas species separation, the at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell being indicative of a manufacturing quality of the battery cell; and

[0063] At least one valve is coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to selectively control the flow of the gas of the battery cell to the gas detector.

[0064] Technical Solution 16. A battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 15, wherein the gas detector comprises at least one of a mass spectrometer, a gas chromatography system or an infrared absorption system.

[0065] Technical Solution 17. The battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 15 also includes at least one of a contraction channel and a pressure control connected between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to reduce the pressure of the gas in the battery cell flowing toward the gas detector.

[0066] Technical Solution 18. The battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 15 further includes a sample storage chamber connected between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to receive the gas of the battery cell before the gas of the battery cell flows to the gas detector.

[0067] Technical Solution 19. A battery cell gas analysis system, comprising:

[0068] Degassing chamber;

[0069] a vent port configured to selectively vent the degassing chamber;

[0070] a gas detector in fluid communication with the degassing chamber, the gas detector being configured to detect at least one parameter of gas released from the battery cell into the degassing chamber by gas species separation, the at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell being indicative of a manufacturing quality of the battery cell; and

[0071] At least one valve is coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to selectively control the flow of the gas of the battery cell to the gas detector.

[0072] Technical Solution 20. A battery cell gas analysis system according to Technical Solution 19, wherein the gas detector comprises at least one of a mass spectrometer, a gas chromatography system or an infrared absorption system.

[0073] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0075] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system for a battery cell.

[0076] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system for a battery cell including a pressure control valve.

[0077] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system for a battery cell including a sample gas chamber and a sensor assembly.

[0078] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system for a battery cell including a removable sample vial port.

[0079] Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system for a battery cell including a laboratory air purge line.

[0080] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system for a battery cell including a shrink line.

[0081] In the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] Some example embodiments include a system for analyzing the gas composition generated during the battery cell formation process during manufacturing using a gas detector, the gas detector being configured to detect the separability of the gas composition. Although some example embodiments are described herein with reference to vehicle battery cells, other example embodiments may include battery cells for electronic devices, grid storage, locomotives, ships, etc. Example gas detectors may include a mass spectrometer (e.g., a residual gas analyzer (RGA)), a gas chromatography system, an infrared (IR) absorption spectrometer, etc. The RGA may or may not include a dedicated vacuum pump, such as a turbo vacuum pump in an RGA mass spectrometer.

[0083] Different machine configurations may allow the use of gas detectors to analyze gas from battery cells at high rates that are desired or required in vehicle battery cell manufacturing (or manufacturing of other battery cell types). Some example embodiments may reduce the amount of time required for end-of-line testing during vehicle battery cell manufacturing. For example, some gas detection systems described herein may reduce the cycle time for gas detection while also facilitating gas composition analysis, compared to, for example, metal oxide sensors. For example, a metal oxide detector may provide a very fast response time, but may not be able to provide the desired level of gas composition detection for proper analysis. A large component of the cycle time may include the time required to convert the gas into a form that the sensor can analyze the gas. For metal oxide sensors, this will typically require dilution to prevent sensor saturation. For RGA / MS sensors, the system may maintain a sufficiently low vacuum level to avoid flooding the analyzer, which may result in long pumping times for resetting. For IR and GC sensors, the system may keep the gas slightly above ambient pressure so that the gas can be introduced into the corresponding sample chamber.

[0084] The formation quality of vehicle battery cells can be checked using various suitable test methods, such as dQ / dV and dV / dQ analysis to identify individual defects based on signal analysis of the first charging sequence, gas volume measurement (where the gas volume is measured using a machine vision system), and gas composition analysis. The gas composition analysis can include, for example, metal oxide high-speed sensors for high-speed detection of volatile organic compounds, micro gas chromatography for secondary analysis of gas composition, etc. For example, in many battery cells using carbonate-based electrolytes (e.g., most commercially available lithium-ion cells), the observed formation gases include H2, CO, CO2, methane, ethane, ethylene, propane / propylene (e.g., if they use propylene carbonate), or butene.

[0085] Example sensors for vehicle battery cell gas analysis may include, but are not limited to, SGX metal oxide detectors, oxygen (O2) or nitrous oxide (NOX) detectors, hydrogen (H2) detectors, pressure sensors, mass spectrometer (RGA) detectors, micro gas chromatography detectors, infrared absorption detectors, etc. The gas detector may be configured to detect any suitable component of the gas of the vehicle battery cell, such as nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, ethylene, ethane, ammonia, ethanol, propane, isobutane, carbon dioxide, etc.

[0086] During the formation of vehicle battery cells, gases are generated as a byproduct of the decomposition of electrolyte solvents, salts, and additives. The gas composition and volume in the vehicle battery cell (e.g., in a sealed bag of the vehicle battery cell) can be directly related to the quality of the additive package chemistry, such as poor quality additives resulting in increased gas volume and increased hydrocarbon gas production.

[0087] The example gas analysis embodiments described herein may be performed at any suitable time period during the manufacturing process for forming a vehicle battery cell. For example, the gases of the vehicle battery cell may be released and analyzed after pre-aging of the vehicle battery cell, after fixture formation, after an aging process, after degassing, etc. For example, to be useful, the gas analysis may be performed after some electrochemical reactions have occurred. In some example embodiments, the minimum cell potential is in the range of 3.5V. Below this value, SEI may not form, and very little gas, if any, may be available for analysis.

[0088] Figure 1 1 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system 100 for a battery cell, such as a vehicle battery cell or other type of battery cell. Figure 1 As shown in , the gas analysis system 100 includes a vehicle battery cell 102 enclosed in a degassing chamber 104. The vehicle battery cell 102 includes an electrical conductor 106 for electrically connecting the vehicle battery cell 102 to one or more power systems of the vehicle once the vehicle battery cell 102 is installed. Although some example embodiments are described herein with reference to the vehicle battery cell 102, other example embodiments may include other battery cell types, such as battery cells for electronic devices, grid storage, locomotives, ships, etc.

[0089] The vehicle battery cell 102 may include a sealed battery pouch that contains gases generated during formation of the vehicle battery cell 102. The degassing chamber 104 may include a knife 116, which may be any suitable sharp tip, object, etc. for puncturing the pouch of the vehicle battery cell 102 to release the gases sealed in the pouch into the degassing chamber 104.

[0090] The vacuum pump 108 is in fluid communication with the degassing chamber 104. Fluid communication may refer to one or more connections via pipes, tubes, gas flow lines, etc. that allow gas to flow from one component to another. The vacuum pump 108 may be configured to remove air from the degassing chamber 104 (e.g., by creating a vacuum in the degassing chamber 104), which may help draw vehicle battery cell gases out of the bag and into the degassing chamber 104.

[0091] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , a gas detector 110 is coupled along a gas flow line from the degassing chamber 104 to the vacuum pump 108 . The gas detector 110 may be in fluid communication with the degassing chamber 104 to analyze at least a portion of the gas released from the vehicle battery cells 102 .

[0092] For example, the gas detector 110 may be configured to detect at least one parameter of the gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 by gas species separation (e.g., the gas detector 110 may be configured to identify more than one gas component in a gas mixture released from a pouch of the vehicle battery cell 102). The at least one parameter may include, for example, the presence of one or more types of gas, the amount or concentration of one or more types of gas, a distinctive signature or gas signature of one or more types of gas present in a mixture released by the vehicle battery cell 102, and the like.

[0093] The parameter(s) of the gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 analyzed by the gas detector 110 may indicate the manufacturing quality of the vehicle battery cell 102. For example, the presence of certain types of gases in the gas mixture released by the vehicle battery cell 102 may indicate that the formation process for the vehicle battery cell 102 was not successfully completed and the vehicle battery cell 102 should not be included in a newly manufactured vehicle. Similarly, the amount / volume / concentration of a particular type of gas may indicate improper formation of the vehicle battery cell 102, certain signals or gas composition signals may indicate improper formation of the vehicle battery cell 102, etc.

[0094] like Figure 1 , the gas analysis system 100 may include other components for analyzing gases released from the pouches of the vehicle battery cells 102. For example, the vent port 114 may selectively vent the degassing chamber 104 to ambient air adjacent to the degassing chamber 104 (e.g., allow air to flow out of the degassing chamber 104 into the external environment surrounding the degassing chamber 104, allow air to flow into the degassing chamber 104 from outside the degassing chamber 104, etc.).

[0095] One or more valves 112 may be located throughout the gas analysis system 100, such as on a gas flow line, pipe, tube, etc., to selectively control the flow of gas in the gas analysis system 100. For example, the valve 112 may be coupled between the degassing chamber 104 and the gas detector 110 to selectively control the flow of gas from the vehicle battery cell 102 from the degassing chamber 104 to the gas detector 110.

[0096] The degassing chamber 104 may include a heat seal bar 118. The heat seal bar 118 may be configured to reseal the bag of vehicle battery cells 102 after gases are released from the vehicle battery cells 102 due to the puncturing lancet 116 puncturing the bag.

[0097] In various embodiments, a constriction or pressure control valve (such as a needle valve) may be used to reduce the operating pressure of the gas flowing to the gas detector 110 to a pressure level acceptable to the gas detector 110 to properly detect and analyze the gas species composition of the vehicle battery cell 102 gas.

[0098] For example, Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system 200 for a vehicle battery cell, the gas analysis system 200 including a needle valve 220. Similar to Figure 1 The gas analysis system 200 includes a degassing chamber 104 accommodating a vehicle battery cell 102 and a puncture knife 116 configured to puncture a bag of the vehicle battery cell 102 to release gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 into the degassing chamber 104 .

[0099] A vacuum pump 108 is in fluid communication with the degassing chamber 104 to remove air from the degassing chamber 104 , which may help remove gas from the pockets of the vehicle battery cells 102 and allow gas to flow out of the degassing chamber toward the gas detector 110 .

[0100] In some example embodiments, the gas detector 110 may be configured to provide a desired gas detection level, a desired gas analysis accuracy, etc. when the pressure of the gas flowing to the gas detector 110 is below a specified pressure threshold level. The needle valve 220 may be coupled between the degassing chamber 104 and the gas detector 110 (e.g., along the flow direction of the gas from the degassing chamber 104 to the gas detector 110).

[0101] The needle valve 220 may be configured to reduce the pressure of the gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 flowing to the gas detector 110. For example, the flow adjustment setting, pressure setting, etc. of the needle valve 220 may be selected so that the pressure of the gas flowing to the gas detector 110 is below a specified pressure threshold level in order to achieve the desired gas detection / analysis accuracy of the gas detector 110.

[0102] In another example embodiment, the gas detector 110 may be connected to a gas sample chamber that is filled within a short period of time after the pouch of the vehicle battery cell 102 is punctured. For example, once the detector analysis is complete, the system may decide to pass the sample gas through an additional sensor suite for confirmation of the classification of the vehicle battery cell 102 as pass or fail.

[0103] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system 300 for a vehicle battery cell, the gas analysis system 300 including a sample gas storage chamber 326 and a sensor assembly 328. Similar to Figure 1 The gas analysis system 300 includes a degassing chamber 104 that accommodates a vehicle battery cell 102 and a puncture knife 116 that is configured to puncture a bag of the vehicle battery cell 102 to release gas from the vehicle battery cell 102 into the degassing chamber 104. A vacuum pump 108 is in fluid communication with the degassing chamber 104 to remove air from the degassing chamber 104, which can help remove gas from the bag of the vehicle battery cell 102.

[0104] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the sample gas storage chamber 326 is coupled between the degassing chamber 104 and the gas detector 110 . The sample gas storage chamber 326 can receive the gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 before the gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 flows to the gas detector 110 .

[0105] A gas flow line may extend from the sample gas storage chamber 326 to at least one sensor other than the gas detector 110. For example, the sensor assembly 328 may be in fluid communication with the sample gas storage chamber 326 via the gas flow line.

[0106] The sensor suite 328 may include one or more additional gas detectors in addition to the gas detector 110 to detect the same or other parameters of the gases of the vehicle battery cells 102. For example, the sensor suite 328 may be used to confirm the initial analysis performed by the gas detector 110, to detect other characteristics of the gases of the vehicle battery cells 102 that the gas detector 110 is not designed to detect, etc. The detectors of the sensor suite 328 may also be able to use gas species separation when analyzing the gases of the vehicle battery cells 102.

[0107] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 3 , the sample gas storage chamber 326 is in fluid communication with the purge air line 324 . The purge air line 324 may be configured to supply air to clean the gas detector 110 after the gas detector 110 analyzes the gas of the vehicle battery cells 102 .

[0108] In another example embodiment, the system may include a gas processing module configured to dilute the gas from the vehicle battery cells 102 and pass the gas through a sensor assembly (such as a Figure 3 The sensor kit 328 includes one or more gas detectors with gas type resolution capabilities. The gas sample chamber may have a removable sample bottle port for additional analysis.

[0109] For example, Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system 400 for a vehicle battery cell including a removable sample bottle port. Figure 1 The gas analysis system 400 includes a degassing chamber 104 accommodating a vehicle battery cell 102 and a puncture knife 116 configured to puncture a bag of the vehicle battery cell 102 to release gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 into the degassing chamber 104 .

[0110] A vacuum pump 108 is in fluid communication with the degassing chamber 104 to remove air from the degassing chamber 104 , which may help remove gas from the pouches of the vehicle battery cells 102 .

[0111] like Figure 4 As shown in , the sample gas storage chamber 326 is in fluid communication with the sample bottle port 430. For example, the sample bottle port 430 can be configured to facilitate removable coupling of a sample bottle to the sample bottle port 430 (e.g., via threads, via friction fit, via an adjustable valve, etc.) to allow gas from the vehicle battery cell 102 to flow into the sample bottle.

[0112] Once the sample bottle receives at least a portion of the gases of the vehicle battery cell 102 , the sample bottle may be removed to test the gases of the vehicle battery cell 102 at another location, such as a receiving port 432 in fluid communication with the sensor assembly 328 .

[0113] The gas analysis system 400 includes a gas handling and distribution system 434 in fluid communication with the sample gas storage chamber 326. The gas handling and distribution system 434 is configured to receive gas from the vehicle battery cell 102 from the degassing chamber 104 (e.g., via the sample gas storage chamber 326) and flow the gas from the vehicle battery cell 102 through one or more sensors.

[0114] For example, Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 4 , the gas processing and distribution system 434 causes the gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 to flow through the first sensor 436, the second sensor 438, to the Nth sensor 440, and then out of the exhaust port 442. Each sensor can be configured to detect a different parameter or multiple parameters of the gas of the vehicle battery cell 102.

[0115] In yet another example embodiment, the gas detector 110 may be directly connected to the degassing chamber through a valve so that the gas analysis is completed when the degassing chamber is evacuated, thereby reducing integration complexity and impact on the degassing system.

[0116] For example, Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system 500 for a vehicle battery cell, wherein a gas detector 110 is directly connected to a degassing chamber 104 via a valve 112 (the valve 112 may be configured to be selectively opened and closed based on a control signal or the like).

[0117] Similar to Figure 1 The gas analysis system 500 includes a degassing chamber 104 accommodating a vehicle battery cell 102 and a puncture knife 116 configured to puncture a bag of the vehicle battery cell 102 to release gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 into the degassing chamber 104 .

[0118] A vacuum pump 108 is in fluid communication with the degassing chamber 104 to remove air from the degassing chamber 104, which may help remove gas from the pouches of the vehicle battery cells 102. Figure 5 As shown in , the system includes a purge air line 544 in fluid communication with the degassing chamber 104 .

[0119] In various embodiments, the gas detector 110 may be in fluid communication with a gas sampling tube extending into the degassing chamber 104. The gas sampling tube may include an opening adjacent to the puncture location of the bag of the vehicle battery cell 102. This arrangement may increase the amount of gas from the vehicle battery cell 102 that flows out of the bag and directly toward the gas detector 110. In some example embodiments, multiple tubes may be placed along the puncture location to sample the gas, such as when one dimension of the cell gas bag is significantly longer than another dimension, which may be another way to increase the amount of gas flowing to the gas detector 110.

[0120] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of a gas analysis system 600 for a vehicle battery cell, the gas analysis system 600 including a shrink line. Figure 1 The gas analysis system 600 includes a degassing chamber 104 accommodating a vehicle battery cell 102 and a puncture knife 116 configured to puncture a bag of the vehicle battery cell 102 to release gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 into the degassing chamber 104 .

[0121] A vacuum pump 108 is in fluid communication with the degassing chamber 104 to remove air from the degassing chamber 104, which may help remove gas from the pouches of the vehicle battery cells 102. Figure 6 As shown in , the system includes a purge air line 646 in fluid communication with the degassing chamber 104 via the sample gas storage chamber 326 .

[0122] like Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 6 , the constricted channel 648 is located between the degassing chamber 104 and the gas detector 110. The constricted channel 648 may have a smaller diameter than other gas flow lines in the gas analysis system 600. The constricted channel 548 may be configured to reduce the pressure of the gas of the vehicle battery cell 102 flowing toward the battery cell.

[0123] In the gas analysis system 600, the gas detector 110 is in fluid communication with the degassing chamber 104 via a plurality of gas flow lines separated from each other. As mentioned above, the gas detector 110 may include any suitable sensor, such as a mass spectrometer, a gas chromatography system, and an infrared absorption spectroscopy system.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the gas analysis system may operate by causing gas to flow to the gas detector 110 after the pouch of the vehicle battery cell 102 is punctured. The gas detector 110 may be configured to display, output, etc., various gas composition peaks based on constituent gases in the sample gas received from the vehicle battery cell 102.

[0125] A classification algorithm may be used to label the cells as good, bad, suspect, etc. The algorithm may include a machine learning model, another process such as principal component analysis, etc. Based on the design of the vehicle battery cell manufacturing system, additional testing may be performed on vehicle battery cells that are identified as suspect or bad based on the gas analysis. The system may then be cleaned via extraction, purging of air flow lines, etc., in preparation for analysis of the gases from the next vehicle battery cell.

[0126] In some example embodiments, such as when using an RGA or IR absorption detector, the system may first load the vehicle battery cell into the degassing chamber. The system may then begin time series acquisition of spectra or monitoring of specific elements of the vehicle battery cell's gases.

[0127] The system punctures the bag of the vehicle battery cell and then monitors the peak height of a specific gas in the gas mixture of the vehicle battery cell. After monitoring, the system can evacuate the degassing system and then seal the vehicle battery cell. The degassing chamber is vented to purge the chamber of residual gas, and the system can output a quality label for the vehicle battery cell based on analysis of the gas spectrum detected by the gas detector.

[0128] The previous description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because after studying the drawings, the specification and the appended claims, other modifications will become apparent. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although each of the embodiments in these embodiments is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in any embodiment in other embodiments and / or combined with the features of any embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the arrangement of one or more embodiments to each other is still within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0129] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "immediately next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed on." Unless explicitly described as "directly," when describing a relationship between a first element and a second element in the above disclosure, the relationship may be a direct relationship in which no other intervening elements exist between the first element and the second element, but may also be an indirect relationship in which one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) exist between the first element and the second element. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted as meaning a logical (A or B or C) using a non-exclusive logical "or," and should not be interpreted as meaning "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0130] In the drawings, the direction of the arrows, as indicated by the arrows, generally demonstrates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) of interest to the illustration. For example, when element A and element B exchange various information, but the information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to the illustration, the arrow may be directed from element A to element B. This unidirectional arrow does not mean that no other information is transmitted from element B to element A. In addition, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send a request for the information to element A or a confirmation of receipt.

[0131] In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be a part of, or include: an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0132] The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuit may include a wired or wireless interface connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functions of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed in multiple modules connected via the interface circuit. For example, multiple modules may allow load balancing. In another example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module may perform some functions on behalf of a client module.

[0133] As used above, the term "code" may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to a program, a routine, a function, a class, a data structure, and / or an object. The term "shared processor circuit" encompasses a single processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group processor circuit" encompasses a processor circuit that is combined with additional processor circuits to execute some or all of the code from one or more modules. References to multiple processor circuits encompass multiple processor circuits on discrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the above. The term "shared memory circuit" encompasses a single memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group memory circuit" encompasses a memory circuit that is combined with additional memory to store some or all of the code from one or more modules.

[0134] The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" does not cover transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium such as a carrier wave; thus, the term computer-readable medium may be considered to be both tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0135] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by a special-purpose computer, which is created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in a computer program. The functional blocks, flow chart components and other elements described above are used as software specifications, which can be translated into computer programs by the routine work of a skilled technician or programmer.

[0136] The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium. The computer program may also include or rely on stored data. The computer program may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of the special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0137] A computer program may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JS Object Notation), (ii) assembly code, (iii) object code generated by a compiler from source code, (iv) source code executed by an interpreter, (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time compiler, etc. By way of example only, the source code may be written using the syntax of a language including: C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language Version 5), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and

Claims

1. A battery cell gas analysis system, comprising: Degassing chamber; a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the degassing chamber to remove air from the degassing chamber; a vent port configured to selectively vent the degassing chamber; a battery cell, the battery cell being enclosed in the degassing chamber; a gas detector in fluid communication with the degassing chamber, the gas detector being configured to detect at least one parameter of gas released from the battery cell into the degassing chamber by gas species separation, the at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell being indicative of a manufacturing quality of the battery cell; as well as At least one valve is coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to selectively control the flow of the gas from the battery cell to the gas detector.

2. The battery cell gas analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the battery cell is a pouch cell, and the battery cell gas analysis system further comprises: a puncture knife configured to puncture the bag of the battery cell to release the gas of the battery cell into the degassing chamber; and A heat sealing bar is configured to seal the pouch of the battery cell after the gas of the battery cell is released.

3. The battery cell gas analysis system according to claim 1 further includes at least one of a contraction channel and a pressure control valve connected between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to reduce the pressure of the gas in the battery cell flowing toward the gas detector.

4. The battery cell gas analysis system according to claim 1, further comprising a sample storage chamber connected between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to receive the gas of the battery cell before the gas of the battery cell flows to the gas detector.

5. The battery cell gas analysis system according to claim 4, wherein: The gas detector is a first gas detector, and the battery cell gas analysis system further comprises: a gas flow line extending from the sample storage chamber; as well as A second gas detector is in fluid communication with the gas flow line, the second gas detector being configured to detect at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell by gas species separation.

6. The battery cell gas analysis system according to claim 4, further comprising a sample bottle port connected to the sample storage chamber fluid, wherein the sample bottle port is configured to be removably connected to a sample bottle so that the gas of the battery cell flows into the sample bottle, thereby removing at least a portion of the gas of the battery cell from the battery cell gas analysis system.

7. The battery cell gas analysis system according to claim 4, wherein: The gas detector is in fluid communication with the degassing chamber via a first gas flow line; The gas detector is in fluid communication with the sample storage chamber via a second gas flow line; and The first gas flow line is separate from the second gas flow line.

8. The battery cell gas analysis system according to claim 1, wherein: The gas detector is in fluid communication with a gas sampling tube extending into the degassing chamber; and The opening of the gas sampling tube is adjacent to the puncture location of the bag of the battery cell.

9. A battery cell gas analysis system, comprising: Degassing chamber; a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the degassing chamber to remove air from the degassing chamber; a battery cell, the battery cell being enclosed in the degassing chamber; a gas detector in fluid communication with the degassing chamber, the gas detector being configured to detect at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell by gas species separation, the at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell being indicative of a manufacturing quality of the battery cell; as well as At least one valve is coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to selectively control the flow of the gas from the battery cell to the gas detector.

10. A battery cell gas analysis system, comprising: Degassing chamber; a vent port configured to selectively vent the degassing chamber; a gas detector in fluid communication with the degassing chamber, the gas detector being configured to detect at least one parameter of gas released from the battery cell into the degassing chamber by gas species separation, the at least one parameter of the gas of the battery cell being indicative of a manufacturing quality of the battery cell; as well as At least one valve is coupled between the degassing chamber and the gas detector to selectively control the flow of the gas from the battery cell to the gas detector.

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