DNAS Friday Seminar Series

Battery Breath for Early Warning: Gas Signals That Reveal Degradation Earlier

Date & Time

Date: Friday, Mar 20, 2026

Time: 3:00-4:00 PM

Venue: IB 3106

Zoom ID: 918 758 0821

Speaker

Prof. Franklin Jongmyung Kim

Associate Professor, ShanghaiTech University

Abstract

The use of lithium-ion batteries is expanding rapidly, yet safety incidents such as fires and explosions remain a serious concern. Most battery management systems (BMS) rely on electrical signals such as voltage, current, and capacity. Those signals can appear normal even while harmful side reactions build up inside the cell. In this lecture, I introduce a complementary idea: batteries also “breathe.” As they age, they release trace gases that offer direct clues about the chemistry taking place. By measuring this battery breath and using machine learning to recognize patterns, we ask whether we can detect the shift from slow, stable aging to rapid, risky rollover earlier, and start forecasting what may happen next. I will share what our results show so far and what challenges remain, and explain how gas-based indicators might one day complement today’s BMS for earlier, more reliable detection.

Bio

Franklin Kim is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Science and Technology (SPST) at ShanghaiTech University. He received a B.S. in Chemistry from Seoul National University (1999) and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley (2005). He then conducted postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley and Northwestern University. In 2010, he began his independent career at Kyoto University, serving as Assistant and then Associate Professor until 2017, before joining ShanghaiTech University in 2017. His research focuses on designing precisely controlled nanostructures for sensing and energy-storage applications. In recent years, his group has expanded into rechargeable batteries, emphasizing degradation mechanisms and translating chemical insights into earlier and more reliable failure detection.