Fraunhofer EMI has developed a high-speed X-ray system that allows engineers to observe dynamic processes inside large-format prismatic battery cells in real time, providing new insight into cell failure and thermal runaway in electric vehicle (RV) batteries.
The system combines high-performance X-ray imaging with a battery test chamber and sensors that simultaneously measure temperature, pressure, voltage, and gas flow.
The Fraunhofer EMI has developed a globally unique high-speed X-ray system that makes dynamic processes inside large-format prismatic cells visible in real time for the first time. (Image: Fraunhofer EMI)
Recording up to 1,000 images per second, it can capture gas formation, material displacement, and crack propagation as they occur inside a cell.
“Our in-situ method allows us to see what happens inside a cell in fractions of a second, in real time and at the highest resolution,” said Dr. Sebastian Schopferer, Head of Battery Safety at Fraunhofer EMI. “This fundamentally changes how we understand battery design and safety.”
Fraunhofer EMI has already used the technology with German automakers including Volkswagen and Audi to study material ejection during thermal runaway and propagation behavior in multi-cell configurations. The resulting data can help engineers evaluate cell designs and improve simulation models used in battery development and validation.
Fraunhofer EMI is now working with Volkswagen Group battery company PowerCo to bring the technology into industrial use. Initial findings are being applied to the development of production cells, and the system is scheduled for installation at PowerCo’s Salzgitter facility in 2028.
The modular platform can also be adapted for different battery cell formats and chemistries as EV battery designs continue to evolve.
Filed Under: Batteries, Technology News, Testing and Safety