Design of a Low-Cost Ultrasonic Testing Instrument for Battery Metrology

Nondestructive ultrasonic testing is finding increasing use in battery science. We provide instructions and software for the development of a low cost, modular, and easy to use scanning acoustic microscope. Basic principles of ultrasonic testing are discussed with particular attention to its application for operando characterization of batteries. An example measurement showing real time monitoring of electrolyte wetting in a pouch cell is shown. By providing detailed hardware setup instructions and freely accessible analysis software, this paper aims to make ultrasonic testing accessible to the wider battery research community.