Microscopic in-operando thermography at the cross section of a single lithium ion battery stack

A cell design to perform microscopic in-operando thermography across the interface anode - separator/electrolyte - cathode of a single lithium ion battery stack has been developed. A 3-electrode Swagelok® cell is adapted to enable the use of microscopic thermography during battery cycling. The developed measurement setup has been successfully tested using LiCoO2 as cathode, LiPF6 salt containing organic electrolyte and graphite as anode. The measurement results reveal differences in the heat generation of the individual components of the single battery stack. Furthermore, inhomogeneity in the electrodes can be detected and the heat transport on the micro scale can be observed.