(ORNL: Oak Ridge, TN) -- Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using ultrasounds—usually associated with medical imaging—to check the health of an operating battery. The technique uses sensors as small as a thumbnail, which could be attached to a lithium-ion battery inside a car.

Companies can use this technology to immediately learn which batteries are healthy enough to be resold. “We are combining expertise at ORNL’s battery manufacturing facility (BMF) with ultrasound measurement expertise to identify good batteries that can be reused, reducing waste,” says ORNL’s Hongbin Sun.

Researcher Sun Hongbin examines material changes to a battery made in the DOE’s battery manufacturing facility using an ultrasound sensor. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Department of Energy

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