US 12,111,197 B2
Quality control system for analyzing the quality of a battery cell through a volumetric measurement of gas formed during a cell formation process and a method of analyzing the same
Dmitriy Bruder, Clinton Township, MI (US); James R. Salvador, East Lansing, MI (US); Raffaello Ardanese, Bloomfield Hills, MI (US); Ryan C. Sekol, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI (US); Thomas A. Yersak, Royal Oak, MI (US); Sean Robert Wagner, Shelby Township, MI (US); and Ronald M Lesperance, Troy, MI (US)
Assigned to GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/350,644.
Prior Publication US 2022/0404186 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01F 22/00 (2006.01); G01B 3/38 (2006.01); G01B 5/06 (2006.01); G01B 7/16 (2006.01); G01B 11/02 (2006.01); G01F 23/00 (2022.01); G01N 30/02 (2006.01); G01N 33/00 (2006.01); G06K 7/10 (2006.01); G06T 7/62 (2017.01); H01M 4/02 (2006.01); H01M 4/04 (2006.01); H01M 4/139 (2010.01); H01M 4/62 (2006.01); H01M 10/058 (2010.01); H01M 10/42 (2006.01); H01M 50/609 (2021.01); H01M 10/0525 (2010.01)
CPC G01F 22/00 (2013.01) [G01B 3/38 (2013.01); G01B 5/06 (2013.01); G01B 7/18 (2013.01); G01B 11/02 (2013.01); G01F 23/00 (2013.01); G01N 30/02 (2013.01); G01N 33/0027 (2013.01); G06K 7/10366 (2013.01); G06T 7/62 (2017.01); H01M 4/045 (2013.01); H01M 4/139 (2013.01); H01M 4/628 (2013.01); H01M 10/058 (2013.01); H01M 10/4285 (2013.01); H01M 50/609 (2021.01); G01N 2030/025 (2013.01); H01M 2004/027 (2013.01); H01M 10/0525 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A quality control system for analyzing the quality of a battery cell, with the battery cell defining a gas pouch configured to expand from a deflated configuration to an inflated configuration when filled with a gas formed during a cell formation process of the battery cell, the quality control system comprising:
a computational system comprising a processor and a memory; and
a measurement instrument in electronic communication with the computational system, wherein the measurement instrument is a vision system disposed apart from the battery cell and imaging a side profile of the gas pouch, wherein the vision system is configured to collect an image of the side profile of the gas pouch, wherein the image includes a distance D defined as a width of the side profile of the gas pouch, and wherein the measurement system is configured to transmit the image to the computational system;
wherein the computational system is arranged to analyze the image with the processor and determine a volumetric measurement of the gas within the gas pouch by first determining the distance D from the image using pixel information, and then using the distance D and a known cross-sectional area of the gas pouch to determine the volumetric measurement, and wherein the computational system is arranged to compare the volumetric measurement to a first threshold and to a second threshold each stored in the memory to assess a quality score for the battery cell, wherein the first threshold is less than the second threshold, and wherein the quality score is a low-quality score when the volumetric measurement is below the first threshold and the quality score is a low-quality score when the volumetric measurement is above the second threshold.