In the February 2022 Newsletter we introduced the Spectro Modular as a next-gen battery tester. The March Newsletter illustrates Nyquist plots scanning batteries delivering capacity of 100%, 90% and 80%. This month’s April Newsletter introduces pattern recognition by capturing Nyquist plots to analyze against a “golden sample” taken from a known good battery.

The Spectro Modular is the first in a series new Cadex line products designed for a large car company as an OEM. The Modular device will also serve as a scientific instrument for academia and battery labs. This product will feed the famished Distribution Channels, but the meal cannot yet be served because some important ingredients are currently under development.

Spectro Modular line expansion will also be sold as an off-the-shelf product to academia and research labs. This is a timely product as scientists explore new methods to test batteries deploying electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The Modular promises to fill this niche market at a fraction of cost to many competitive products.

With a golden sample, the Modular will also serve as a sorting tool by setting tolerance envelopes. Several envelops are possible by entering percentage of standard deviation. Anomalies hint to deficiencies, such as dendrite growth that could compromise battery safety. The Nyquist plot will be made visible on a host computer. Short test times may entice the use of the Modular in cell manufacturing and QA assurance. 

Typical Applications

Spectro Modular opens new markets outside automotive with configurable software for:

• Research Labs: Evaluates cathode and anode materials with additives.
• Manufacturing: Checks consistency between battery batches.
• Quality Control: Verifies incoming batteries and warranty claims.
• Environmental: Tests behavior under extreme temperatures and SoC.
• Stress Test: Observes capacity-loss with abusive load conditions.
• Longevity: Tests cycling-induced changes under diverse conditions.
• Integrity: Detects dendrites, lithium plating and mechanical anomalies. 
• Second Life: Verifies batteries for reuse.

The Spectro Modular also checks non-battery based substances, such as liquids. The lab application includes host software with last mile of choice in the form of probes and custom battery adapters. 

The Modular line expansion for labs is currently in prototype stage and we are looking into collaboration with potential Key Opinion Leaders (KOL). Demo units can be shipped for data gathering; however, supportive software for cloud analytics is still under development.