DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR IN-SITU GAS ANALYSIS DURING BATTERY OPERATION

Abstract

Gas generation during battery operation is known to adversely affect electrochemical performance, reduce cycle life, and compromise operational safety. These gases arise from electrolyte decomposition and electrode side reactions, and their accumulation can lead to pressure buildup or cell swelling. Traditional analysis methods rely on manual sampling and offline testing, which are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and fail to capture real-time, transient gas evolution events. To address these challenges, we developed a custom LabVIEW-based automated gas analysis system. This system integrates a spring-driven gas collection cell, which actively channels evolving gases from the cell, with a Hiden HPR-20 quadrupole mass spectrometer for continuous sampling and analysis. The platform enables continuous, in situ monitoring of battery exhaust gases during cycling without interrupting operation. Real-time detection of gas species during the formation cycle was demonstrated using lithium-ion cells with high-energy nickel-rich NMC622 cathodes. This automated approach improves measurement accuracy, significantly reduces human intervention and sampling errors, and provides high-resolution insight into dynamic gas generation processes. Furthermore, the design’s scalability and programmability allow multi-cell monitoring, making it suitable for industrial research, development, and quality-control applications. Future work will extend this methodology to other battery chemistries (e.g. alternative cathodes or electrode materials) to systematically investigate chemistry-dependent side-reaction pathways and gas evolution patterns. These advances in automated gas analysis are expected to facilitate a deeper understanding of electrolyte decomposition reactions, solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, and ultimately contribute to the development of safer, longer-lasting battery technologies.