Printed sensors for EV battery current density imaging

"The growth in the electrification of transport, including electric vehicles (EVs), has been driven by lithium-ion batteries. However, to make the next-generation of vehicles cheaper and more efficient, we need to be able to monitor, diagnose and respond to batteries in real-time. This project aims to combine new types of sensors to feed data into a battery management system (BMS) that will be able to react to the changing state of battery health and charge and improve operational safety. This could lead to an increase in battery life of up to 60%.

Crucially, we will look at producing sensors that are robust, sensitive and significantly cheaper than those commercially available. Our goal is that the sensors will be deployed into battery modules at low cost and adopted by industry. Eventually, they may become a requirement for new car certification and help to improve consumer safety, confidence and uptake of EVs.

To verify the feasibility of our approach, our consortium covers a range of commercial and academic expertise that will build sensors into a prototype battery pack."