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92 PCB007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2024 Summary e specific gravity controller with a micro:bit or Raspberry Pi and DAC Hat and a DIY Python program is a good place to start, or it can be as simple as a battery-powered with just an LED to show when the SG limit has been hit. All these sensors, except for the SG, are electronic in nature and require an elec- tronic setpoint. e SG sensor is mechanical in nature and quite robust, due to its origin in Archimedes Principles. Because PCB wet pro- cesses are water-based, this sensor has applica- tions everywhere and is a good place to start. Because of the popularity now of aquacul- ture/hydroponics, home aquariums/swim- ming pools and hot-tubs, and microbrewing, as well as environmental studies in school sci- ence classes, many suitable sensors and con- trollers can be purchased locally or from the internet, all at reasonable prices. For additional instr uctions on sensor technology, visit "Teach Engineering—STEM Learning for K-12" 5 PCB007 References 1. Happy's Tech Talk #32: Three Simple Ways to Manage and Control West Processes, by Happy Holden, PCB007 Magazine, August 2024. 2. Automation and Advanced PCB Procedures in PCB Fabrication, Chapter 4, by Happy Holden. 3. Theory and Application of Conductivity Appli- cation Data Sheet ADS 43-018/rev. D, Rosemount Analytical Inc. 2010. 4. Amazon.com. 5. Browse K-12 STEM Curriculum, teachengineer- ing.org. Happy Holden has worked in printed circuit technol- ogy since 1970 with Hewlett- Packard, NanYa Westwood, Merix, Foxconn, and Gen- tex. He is currently a contrib- uting technical editor with I-Connect007, and the author of Automation and Advanced Procedures in PCB Fabrication, and 24 Essential Skills for Engineers. To read past columns, click here. A lithium-ion battery's very first charge is more momentous than it sounds. It determines how well and how long the battery will work from then on– in particular, how many cycles of charging and dis- charging it can handle before deteriorating. In a study published in Joule, researchers at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center report that giving batteries this first charge at unusually high cur- rents increased their average lifespan by 50% while decreasing the initial charging time from 10 hours to just 20 minutes. Just as important, the researchers were able to use scientific machine learning to pinpoint specific changes in the battery electrodes that account for this increase in lifespan and performance—invalu- able insights for battery manufactur- ers looking to streamline their pro- cesses and improve their products. The study was carried out by a SLAC/Stanford team led by Professor Will Chueh in collaboration with researchers from the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Washington. The results have practical implications for man- ufacturing not just lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and the electric grid, but for other tech- nologies, too. The results of this research "demon- strate a generalizable approach for understanding and optimizing this crucial step in battery manufac- turing. Further, we may be able to transfer what we have learned to new processes, facilities, equip- ment and battery chemistries in the future," said Steven Tor- risi, a senior research scientist at TRI who collaborated on the project. (Source: SLAC) Researchers Discover a Surprising Way to Jump-start Battery Performance