Talkative batteries: Kiel researchers develop a new communication system

Jul 7, 2026, 1:21:24 PM
Eva Sittig , Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

A battery that "talks" does not use words – it communicates through data. Researchers at Kiel University have demonstrated how sensors inside a battery cell can transmit measurement data to the outside without the need for additional communication wires. Instead, the system uses the existing power connections as well as the electronics that already control the battery's charging and discharging process. The team therefore refers to it as a "talkative battery" – a battery that can communicate information from its interior on its own. Dr. Hamzeh Beiranvand from the Chair of Power Electronics recently presented the concept in the journal Communications Engineering. Sensors inside the battery instead of only on the surface Modern batteries, such as those used in electric vehicles or stationary energy storage systems, consist of many individual cells. Today, temperature sensors are typically placed only on the outside of these cells. The challenge is that dangerous heat often develops first inside a battery cell, where it initially remains undetected. While sensors can in principle be placed inside the cell, they currently require additional electronics and data cables that occupy valuable space within the tightly packed battery. The new approach is designed to overcome this limitation. The researchers integrated a small electronic circuit directly into the battery cell. It requires very little space and converts the temperature sensor's readings into a digital signal. This signal then leaves the battery through the same terminals already used for charging and discharging. No additional communication wiring is required. "Our work is a first step towards intelligent batteries that continuously monitor and report their own condition," says Beiranvand. "This could make battery systems both safer and more economical." Another advantage is that the new communication principle makes double use of components that are already present. Based on an initial cost assessment by the team, the system could reduce costs by around 35 percent compared with conventional solutions that rely on separate sensor wiring. According to the researchers, the electronic circuit could be miniaturized even further in the future or integrated directly into new battery materials. Because the sensors measure processes inside the battery cell itself, they could also help researchers better understand and systematically improve next-generation battery materials. "In principle, the concept is not limited to temperature sensors," says Johannes Diers, a doctoral researcher in the Chair of Power Electronics and first author of the study. "Pressure, gas or other types of sensors could also transmit information from inside the battery in exactly the same way." In the long term, the researchers envision applications wherever high-performance battery systems are used – from electric vehicles and stationary storage for wind and solar energy to residential battery storage systems. Press contact Christina Anders Science Communication Research Priority Area KiNSIS canders@uv.uni-kiel.de +49 431-880-4855 About the Priority Research Area KiNSIS The nanoworld is governed by different laws than the macroscopic world, by quantum physics. Understanding structures and processes in these dimensions and implementing the findings in an application-oriented manner is the goal of the priority research area KiNSIS (Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science) at Kiel University. Intensive interdisciplinary cooperation between physics, chemistry, engineering and life sciences could lead to the development of novel sensors and materials, quantum computers, advanced medical therapies and much more.