Proposed Standards and Methods for Leak Testing Lithium-Ion Battery Packs

ROSEMONT, IL, - Lithium-ion battery systems are an energy source for a variety of electric-vehicle applications due to their high energy density and low discharge rates. Battery packs, whether made of prismatic, cylindrical or pouch cells, are cooled by common automotive thermal management systems. The rapid detection of battery pack coolant-system leaks during production operations is essential for meeting necessary safety and service-life requirements. Industry standards for measuring leak rates for both glycol-based and refrigerant-based cooling systems, however, currently do not exist. Leaks in water-glycol cooling circuits can be detected reliably and quantitatively through detection of escaping test gas as an indicator of ethylene glycol leaks and how the test gas leak rates correlate to the liquid leakage of the cooling liquid. Influencing variables such as leakage channel diameter, pressure difference and viscosity are considered, and go/no-go leak rates. To learn more, download Inficon’s SAE International technical paper at https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/2022-01-0716/.

INFICON is a leading provider of innovative instrumentation, critical sensor technologies, and Smart Manufacturing/Industry 4.0 software solutions that enhance productivity and quality of tools, processes and complete factories. These analysis, measurement and control products are essential for gas leak detection in air conditioning/refrigeration, and automotive manufacturing. They are vital to equipment manufacturers and end-users in the complex fabrication of semiconductors and thin film coatings for optics, flat panel displays, solar cells and industrial vacuum coating applications. Other users of vacuum based processes include the life sciences, research, aerospace, packaging, heat treatment, laser cutting and many other industrial processes. We also leverage our expertise in vacuum technology to provide unique, toxic chemical analysis products for emergency response, security, and environmental monitoring. INFICON is headquartered in Switzerland and has world-class manufacturing facilities in Europe, the United States and China, as well as subsidiaries in China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. INFICON registered shares (IFCN) are listed on SIX Swiss Exchange. For more information about INFICON and its products, please visit www.inficon.com.