Week One: Basics and Project Goals

Week One: Basics and Project Goals

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog. Here, I will be documenting my experiences each week at Microtech Southwest.

Please keep in mind, I expect my project to change as I learn more about the production of batteries.

I plan on analyzing the effects of hydration on batteries. First, a battery is made up of an anode, cathode and an electrolyte. This is what allows the battery to do its job. But this is all kept contained by two plastic seals on the ends of the battery which is then wrapped by a metal cover. Topped off by a nail that runs through the middle to keep the battery together, the battery can only hold so much material. Companies are trying to find the best way to maximize the longevity of the batteries. These battery seals must be hydrated to a certain moisture level to be usable. However, battery companies are trying to make the seal as small as possible to increase the lifetime of their products. I want to see how much of a role hydration plays in this process.

               This week I started a Design of Experiments (DOE) on a burst test LR-14 (for C batteries) size battery seals. This will allow us to determine if these seals are still able to take the pressure of the gas inside the battery without exploding. Because of conflicts with work load, I was unable to analyze the data. I plan to use this project to expand my knowledge of statistics and see how it is implemented in industry. I look forward to what next week has in store!