Evaluation of electrochemical test data is extremely time consuming. Every test device manufacturer have their own file formats and structures, and engineers can apply many different test methods.

Eran Nave and Markus Hagen were battery scientists at Fraunhofer, a research organization in Germany, for many years and used Origin to evaluate their tests manually and to create diagrams for scientific publications and customers from industry.

Five years ago, they decided to develop “Data Analysis”, an app for Origin with the target to have a universal software solution for evaluating electrochemical test data. They collected test data and user feedback and added feature after feature in the next years. Now, Data Analysis can plot more than 100 already labelled result diagrams in ten different languages (Figure 1) and supports test systems from 20 different manufacturers, such as Arbin, Biologic, Maccor, Basytec, Neware, Gamry, Digatron, Solartron, Bitrode and Keysight.

Data Analysis creates benchmarks (Figure 2) of multiple single tests and test rows, examines cycling tests, pulse tests, EIS, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and tests with reference electrode(s). The software is used for battery test data evaluation and fuel cell/electrolysis test data analysis in both R&D and quality control. It can be applied for any cell format and electrochemical system.

When electrolyte researchers asked them to add a further solution to connect the test and result diagrams created by Origin and “Data Analysis” with information about which components and materials were part of the test cell, they started the development of the database software “Collect”. Eran and Markus teamed up with their former students Josef Quan and David to accelerate programming and participated in various public research projects. Additional target of the development was now to provide a solution for research data management for their own institute and for any imaginable research topic and data type.

“Collect” automatically gathers test and measurement files (also beyond electrochemistry) by synchronizing with existing SQL databases, by watching network folders or by OPC-UA access to device controls. Each uploaded file is categorized automatically by examining the file header and by extracting specific information like a batch or specimen ID directly from the file name. A specimen library (Figure 3) and test plan library were added to connect material parameters and test conditions with the raw test file and to enable sorting and filtering of the database for any material being used in a test (Figure 4).

“Data Analysis” and Origin are connected with this database and now upload all result diagrams, tables and whole Origin projects. The tests can be sorted by electrochemical performance and the results can be directly downloaded to any connected computer within seconds.

In the next development step, the complete test file evaluation was automated. Every new test file copied to the database is automatically analyzed by one or multiple dedicated computers with Origin installation. Even ongoing tests can be evaluated and the results are updated and uploaded regularly.

With the software “Mind”, a lab information and management system was added to document lab work, to save production parameters and to automate the reporting of test results. Mind links and synchronizes data and information from multiple databases, illustrates how work was done by process flow diagrams (Figure 5), displays raw and result data in the browser and provides an API to access the now structured data for AI and further applications.

Two years ago, Eran and Markus founded the spin-off “Batalyse” and completely switched from material research to automating data processing. The developed software modules are now used by research institutes, material and component developing companies and by battery cell manufacturers all over the word - and it all started and continues with Origin.

LEARN MORE:

• A video showing “Data Analysis” and Origin in action: https://www.batalyse.com/videos/Batalyse-Origin.webm
• A video showing the main features of the Batalyse software suite in action: https://www.batalyse.com/videos/Overview2023.webm

Figure-1: Selection of result diagrams of an electrochemical cycle test on a lithium-sulfur cell.

Figure-2: Selection of benchmark diagrams created from three individual measurements.

Figure-3: Part of the input dialog in “Data Analysis” and “Collect” for describing the working electrode, its structure and composition.

Figure-4: Test data overview when “Collect” is accessed by Data Analysis in Origin – the tests can be filtered by each component in the battery cell and are sortable by electrochemical performance.