PhD in In-Operando Diagnostics of Li-ion and Post-Li-ion Batteries Using Acoustic Technology

Employment type

Temporary position more than 6 months · Full time. Requisition: 2026/1212. Country: Denmark. At AAU Energy, a PhD stipend position is available within the general study program.

The stipend is open for appointment from 15 November 2026 or soon hereafter. The duration of the position is three years. Your work tasks Battery performance assessment and diagnostics rely today on standardised electrical measurements complemented by post-mortem analysis.

None of these methods is suited for in-operando diagnostics, as they are either destructive or require the battery to be taken out of its daily operation.

Acoustic techniques, based either on passive listening to acoustic emissions or on active ultrasound signal injection, have recently been proposed as an alternative; however, further research is needed to establish the relationship between materials degradation and the sensed acoustic signals.

The aim of this PhD project is to establish a mechanistic understanding of the coupling between battery ageing mechanisms and measured acoustic signals, and to translate this understanding into a diagnostic method applicable to both Li-ion and post-Li-ion chemistries.

You will start by reviewing the state of the art in acoustic-based battery diagnostics, and you will then design and build a set-up for sensing acoustic emissions in coin cells1 …