Fiber Optic Sensing Technologies for Battery Management Systems and Energy Storage Applications

Abstract

Applications of fiber optic sensors to battery monitoring have been increasing due to the growing need of enhanced battery management systems with accurate state estimations. The goal of this review is to discuss the advancements enabling the practical implementation of battery internal parameter measurements including local temperature, strain, pressure, and refractive index for general operation, as well as the external measurements such as temperature gradients and vent gas sensing for thermal runaway imminent detection. A reasonable matching is discussed between fiber optic sensors of different range capabilities with battery systems of three levels of scales, namely electric vehicle and heavy-duty electric truck battery packs, and grid-scale battery systems. The advantages of fiber optic sensors over electrical sensors are discussed, while electrochemical stability issues of fiber-implanted batteries are critically assessed. This review also includes the estimated sensing system costs for typical fiber optic sensors and identifies the high interrogation cost as one of the limitations in their practical deployment into batteries. Finally, future perspectives are considered in the implementation of fiber optics into high-value battery applications such as grid-scale energy storage fault detection and prediction systems.

Optical sensors for operando stress monitoring in lithium-based batteries containing solid-state or liquid electrolytes

“…Lastly, to maximize stress changes we decided to work with model materials (In and Si) having a large molar volume difference when alloyed with Li (Δ Ṽ In→InLi = +53 % 28 ; Δ = +280 % 12 , 29 , 30 ). Thus, when the FBG is strained under these conditions, the shift of λ B can be rewritten as 31 , 32 where λ B ,0 is the Bragg wavelength at the initial time, ρ e is the effective photo-elastic coefficient, and are the strain-optical coefficients of the fiber, and is the Poisson’s ratio. All of these coefficients are well known for silica fibers, with the following material property values: n eff = 1.45, = 0.17, = 0.113, and = 0.252 18 , 33 .…”

Chemical Characterization Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of Products Released from Lithium-Ion Battery Cells at Thermal Runaway Conditions

“…12,13,21,22 Optical-based sensors and spectroscopy techniques have also been used for characterization and detection of gases vented from Li-ion cells. For instance, FT-IR has been used for characterization, 2,11,23 and non-dispersive infrared 12 and fiber optics-based 24 technologies for detection.…”

A Review of Mechanical and Chemical Sensors for Automotive Li-Ion Battery Systems

“…Moreover, the reduced thickness enables the monitoring of the individual cells of the battery package without adding significant size and weight to the system. Optical fibers can be coupled to a wide range of sensors, allowing for the measurement of strain and temperature [45][46][47] acoustic emission and formation of chemical species that can reveal the initiation of degradation processes [48,49]. Fiber optic Bragg grating (FGB) sensors represent the most interesting technology for integration in automotive applications [45].…”

“…On the other hand, this characteristic can be also a drawback since a careful decoupling of the response of the sensor to mechanical strain and temperature is required. A detailed cost analysis for the application of FBG sensors in automotive applications was reported in [49], where a cost of $10 for each FBG sensor and $3 for each meter of optic fiber were estimated. Moreover, the treatment of the optical signals requires the use of dedicate acquisition hardware coupled to the BMS.…”