Researchers make key discoveries that could solve dangerous issue with modern batteries: 'Defects are bound to exist'

Drexel University researchers are taking ultrasound tech out of the medical room and into the battery lab. 

The team's goal is to better identify defects in the power storers before they experience dreaded thermal runaway and subsequent fires or explosions, according to a news release from the Philadelphia school. 

"While lithium-ion batteries have been studied for nearly half a century and commercialized for over 30 years, we have only recently developed tools that can see inside with high resolution," Assistant Professor Wes Chang, the lead investigator for the study, said. 

Thermal runaway happens when a battery malfunctions, causing extreme overheating. Since lithium-ion batteries power more devices, electric vehicles, and other tech than ever before, they often make plenty of headlines when they malfunction — but the packs are generally safe and reliable energy providers. When powering an EV, for example, fire risks are lower than for gas vehicles, according to multiple reports. 

Tech that IDs problems, potentially preventing the risk altogether, is welcome news. Fascinatingly, Drexel is using equipment familiar to expecting parents. 

"By observing how the sound wave has changed upon interacting with the sample, we can deduce a number of structural and mechanical features," they wrote in the journal Electrochimica Acta. 

Ultrasounds provide a faster, cheaper alternative to X-ray scans and visual inspections post-production. The experts get an in-depth look at chemical changes in the battery as sound waves move through it during operation. Structural defects and even gas can be spotted. Vapor is a sign of pending failure, all per the experts. 

This isn't the first time ultrasounds have been used to inspect batteries. California's Liminal is using sound pulses to ID flaws as packs are being made. It's part of the increased scrutiny to find out why some common failures, like cathode cracking, happen. 

"While the vast majority of lithium-ion batteries today are high performing and safe, defects are bound to exist when thousands of cells are used within electric vehicles and there are millions of electric vehicles being produced every year," Chang said in the release. 

The International Energy Agency reported that more than a quarter of cars sold globally this year "is set to be electric."

What is your biggest concern with EV batteries? They're not efficient enough ⚡ The materials used to make them ⚒️ They're not easily recyclable ♻️ They don't last long enough 🪫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Improved packs can help increase the use of cleaner equipment on the road and in yards. Electric tools can save you a couple of hundred dollars a year in gas and maintenance while providing a quieter, exhaust-free day of lawn-tending. 

Leveling up to an EV can realize $1,500 in gas and service savings. Federal tax breaks reaching $7,500 expire after Sept. 30 thanks to President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, CNBC reported. But many states still offer a variety of perks. Tesla has a state-by-state guide to help find the incentives where you live. 

Importantly, EVs prevent thousands of pounds of heat-trapping air pollution annually when they replace a gas-burning car, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The tailpipe exhaust is linked by government-cited studies to a range of health risks, including cancer. 

At Drexel, the team thinks its ultrasound technique can also be used to test emerging battery chemistries. Experts have already helped vet lithium-metal packs as they were being made. 

They have developed open-source software with the process and plan to enhance scans to provide 3D images, per the release.

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