New EV battery tech detects dangerous lithium buildup with 97% accuracy, no teardown
This solution can help avoid the lithium plating phenomenon.
Updated: Apr 18, 2025 06:36 AM EST
Electric vehicles (EVs) are seen as a solution in a bid to achieve a greener future. However, the ability to scale their usage faces a critical hurdle – lithium plating in lithium-ion batteries. This phenomenon occurs during fast charging, at low temperatures, or at high states of charge, leading to catastrophic accidents at times.
Researchers from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology have developed a novel solution to combat this issue. They have introduced a new lithium-ion plating detection system that analyzes data collected during pulse charging to identify the subtle electrical signals that indicate plating is occurring.
How does this system work?
The system identifies early signs of lithium plating by analyzing resistance and voltage patterns during pulse charging. This early warning can prevent battery degradation and safety risks. It can be deployed via software updates or cloud-based platforms, making it ideal for EV makers and battery management systems.
A major breakthrough in this research is a feature extraction technique that converts limited battery data into rich, multi-dimensional features. While single-feature analysis yielded only 68.5% detection accuracy, the multi-dimensional approach achieved over 97%.
By examining internal resistance and relaxation voltage during pulse charging, the system detects early signs of lithium plating—well before it becomes a threat. This innovation could significantly reduce battery degradation and safety risks, and it can be easily deployed through software updates or cloud-based platforms, making it highly practical for EV manufacturers and battery management system developers.
Under lithium plating conditions, the thickness of lithium-ion batteries increased more than during standard charging, peaking during the constant voltage phase. After this point, the thickness decreased due to the reversible nature of lithium.
The plan ahead
Looking forward, the researchers aim to broaden their dataset by including various types of lithium-ion batteries, increasing the model’s adaptability across different chemistries and form factors. This would extend the technology’s usefulness beyond electric vehicles to include energy storage systems, consumer electronics, and other lithium-ion-based applications.
The team is also investigating how to integrate the system with fast-charging protocols, allowing real-time adjustments to charging parameters based on lithium plating risk, potentially enabling faster charging without sacrificing battery safety or lifespan.
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As electric vehicles increasingly replace internal combustion engines around the world, innovations like this intelligent lithium plating detection system will be essential in making the shift to electric mobility not only environmentally friendly but also safe and dependable for all users.
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New EV battery tech detects dangerous lithium buildup with 97% accuracy, no teardown, source
