EV-batteries scream in pain when they're about to burst into flames, which is a good thing

Imagine being a researcher and thinking "what if lithium ion batteries scream in pain before they're about to die a fiery death?" and in response to death "what if we can hear those screams?". It seems there was at least one guy at MIT that thought something along those lines, because a team at the American University found out that batteries emit specific sounds before catastrophic thermal runway occurs.

This might seem very insignificant, because humans aren't exactly able to hear those sounds which the researchers call: 'acoustic emissions' and therefore can't relocate their EV's to a safe space before they catch fire. But the researchers still think that the timely recognition of these specific sounds can lead to intervention and prevention of the thermal runway that would otherwise occur.

One of the MIT-researchers put it very aptly: "it's like seeing the tiny bubbles at the bottom of a pot of water that is about to boil, and taking action to prevent the boil from happening."

All this means that battery safety can increase greatly in the near future. Today it depends mostly on electric impulses that can only be measured by fully charging and emptying specific cells and interpreting this data. Listening to the sounds of dying cells can, according to the researchers, be done very accurately because the acoustic emissions are easily distinguishable and can be filtered out of regular noises with specific sensors.

The researchers are even able to detect specific issues: "we were able to classify [acoustic emissions] as coming from gas bubbles that are generated by side reactions, or by fractures from the expansion and contraction of the active material, and to find signatures of those signals even in noisy data."

The guys at MIT suggest one of the potential uses is while batteries are still in the factory. Just before being shipped out, they could be checked for the faint sounds of last breaths. If detected, the cells could be disposed off in the right manner and never end up in cars or other electrical appliances, which greatly reduces the risk of spontaneous combustion.

There is, however, a small issue that needs to be tackled. The researchers haven't specified what could be done between noticing the deathgurgles of the batteries and them combusting. Presumably, the sounds give an early warning sign, but do not stop the thermal runway from happening. It's usually the case that damaged cells keep making things worse for themselves until suicide is the only way out. In other words, what's set in motion cannot easily be stopped.

But what I like the most about these findings is not that they potentially solve a real problem, but the fact that somebody actually thought that damaged battery cell could potentially make sound and therefore it would be a good idea to check if that sound would actually be there. The level of creativity is amazing. The naming of the findings not so much. So, so much potential there. I mean, just look at the names I came up with.

I do think 'deathgurgle' is the most appropriate, since it comes down to detecting the sounds of specific bubbles and gasses.

In other news:

Another invention making EV's a bit more user friendly is coming from Shell. Yes, the huge oil company. Funnily enough, the company came up with a lubricant in some way, because it has developed a fluid that speeds up charging. Not by getting electrons to slide more quickly through the cable by lubricating that, but by making sure the battery pack and charging cable can be cooled more efficiently. The fluid is a more effective coolant. Knowing Shell, it'll probably need replacing every year or so.

Fun times over at Jaguar Land Rover. The company has been hacked and as a result of problems with getting systems started up again after the fact, it was rumored it had lost about 40.000 cars. Digitally that is. They've either sent somebody to start looking out the window at the factories and start counting or they've had succes with placing 'have you seen' adverts on the back of milk cartons.

Xiaomi seems to be very serious with the planned European invasion. The first YU7 GT, the performance version of the Ferrari/Aston Martin knock off, has been spotted on the Nürburgring trying to very much piss off the likes of Porsche, which is very touchy feely about setting records on the German circuit. No word on times though.

In other unrelated news:

I'm off for the next few days. Holidays in Sweden await. But work never stops, because Volvo was kind enough to let me test the new XC60 while there. Expect a review in a week or so.