Abstract: An electrochemical cell comprises an electrolyte capable of facilitating ion transfer between an anode and a cathode. A method for identifying and/or characterizing a soft short in an electrochemical cell comprises cooling the electrochemical cell to an observation temperature at which inter-electrolyte ion migration is substantially inhibited, observing the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the electrochemical cell at the observation temperature for a period of time, and determining the presence of a soft short in the electrochemical cell if the OCV reaches a minimum threshold voltage prior to the expiration of the period of time. The method can optionally further include generating an impedance spectrum for the cell via potentiostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (PETS) at or below the observation temperature, and defining the cell leakage resistance as the maximum impedance limit of the impedance spectrum. The observation temperature can comprise the glass transition temperature of the electrolyte.

Abstract: According to aspects of the present disclosure, a vehicle includes a braking system, at least one controller, and at least one memory. The braking system includes a brake fluid therein and a brake pedal. The at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one controller, are configured to: determine, via a boiling-point module, a boiling point of a brake fluid within a braking system of a vehicle; determine, via a fluidic-properties module, fluidic properties of the brake fluid; determine, via a corrosion-inhibitor module, an amount of corrosion inhibitors within the brake fluid; determine, via a reserve-alkalinity module, a reserve alkalinity of the brake fluid; estimate, a brake-fluid life module, a remaining effective life of the brake fluid using the boiling point, the fluidic properties, the amount of corrosion inhibitors, and the reserve alkalinity; and adjust a response curve of the braking system.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell comprises an electrolyte capable of facilitating ion transfer between an anode and a cathode. A method for identifying and/or characterizing a soft short in an electrochemical cell comprises cooling the electrochemical cell to an observation temperature at which inter-electrolyte ion migration is substantially inhibited, observing the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the electrochemical cell at the observation temperature for a period of time, and determining the presence of a soft short in the electrochemical cell if the OCV reaches a minimum threshold voltage prior to the expiration of the period of time. The method can optionally further include generating an impedance spectrum for the cell via potentiostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (PETS) at or below the observation temperature, and defining the cell leakage resistance as the maximum impedance limit of the impedance spectrum. The observation temperature can comprise the glass transition temperature of the electrolyte.

Abstract: According to aspects of the present disclosure, a vehicle includes a braking system, at least one controller, and at least one memory. The braking system includes a brake fluid therein and a brake pedal. The at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one controller, are configured to: determine, via a boiling-point module, a boiling point of a brake fluid within a braking system of a vehicle; determine, via a fluidic-properties module, fluidic properties of the brake fluid; determine, via a corrosion-inhibitor module, an amount of corrosion inhibitors within the brake fluid; determine, via a reserve-alkalinity module, a reserve alkalinity of the brake fluid; estimate, a brake-fluid life module, a remaining effective life of the brake fluid using the boiling point, the fluidic properties, the amount of corrosion inhibitors, and the reserve alkalinity; and adjust a response curve of the braking system.