Understanding the unique behaviours of a battery’s cathode (the more positive side) and anode (the more negative side) is crucial for making more efficient, longer-lasting batteries, especially in a world moving toward electric power. This spring, I’ve been working on optimizing a three-electrode testing setup for lithium-ion coin cells, a key tool in battery research that allows scientists to study each electrode separately.
When troubleshooting a battery, it is useful to be able to separate the cathode and anode to look at each of them individually. This way you can better understand what are causing potential issues. There are different methods for investigating battery reactions and properties, but most of them look at both sides together. To isolate each side of the battery a three – electrode “Swagelok T-cell” setup can be used. It is essentially a T – shaped battery where you can look at cathode and anode separately. Although useful, it is both complex to build and expensive. This reduces the availability to researchers wanting to better understand and test their batteries. The goal is to develop a cheaper and more accessible 3 – electrode setup by incorporating a thin gold wire in the middle of the coin cell.
A key challenge with the proposed setup was securely sealing the coin cell while allowing the gold wire to extend outside the casing. The suggested solution involves drilling a small hole in the cell casing, threading the wire through, and sealing the opening with a specialized epoxy resin. During testing, some cells behaved inconsistently, which led us to suspect that the seals might not be entirely airtight. To address this, I developed a makeshift air-free testing chamber to control for any unwanted reactions with air during cell cycling. This workaround provided more consistent conditions and helped isolate the cause of the unexpected cell behaviour.
One of my primary responsibilities was to refine the cell assembly process to improve consistency and reduce potential sources of error. This involved hands-on work with building coin cells, preparing materials, and testing each step of the setup. Through this project, I gained practical skills in coin cell assembly and testing, which have strengthened my understanding of the process, though I still don’t consider myself a pro.
Overall, this experience provided valuable hands-on exposure to battery research and practical experimentation. While there is more to be done, I gained insight into the nuances of battery testing and the patience needed for troubleshooting complex setups. I’d highly recommend participating in research projects like this to anyone interested in expanding their skills in a hands-on, problem-solving environment