Battery tester

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) researchers have developed a Coin Cell NMR/MRI Imager that can analyse thin films and membranes (such as those in a coin cell battery) in real time, under real test conditions, through a complete battery charge/discharge cycling process.

The system provides three simultaneous views of complementary information never before available to battery researchers.

The ANL imager is a simple device that combines the function of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detector, an electrochemical cell, and a video camera. The device can be used as a stand-alone electrochemical device or with NMR/MRI, video, temperature, and/or pressure add-ons.

The multipurpose device can perform in situ, real-time analyses of thin films by NMR spectroscopy, MRI imaging, electrochemistry measurements, and video imaging, and can be used for electrochemical synthesis of novel film/membrane materials.

The device's unique NMR/MRI capability is the result of a design twist that turns a problem into a solution. The Argonne Coin Cell NMR/MRI Imager is composed of a coin cell press, principal detector element (PDE), and the internal components of an electrochemical cell.