Journal Article

Experimental Study on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Lithium-Ion Battery and Analysis of Combustible Limit of Gas Production

Ouyang, Minggao, Yang, Xinwei, Li, Yalun, Li, Minghai, Li, Cheng, Wang, Hewu, Feng, Xuning, Qian, Feng, Zhang, Yajun, Chen, Siqi, Shen, Hengjie

2022

Overview

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage stations (ESS). However, combustion and explosion accidents during the thermal runaway (TR) process limit its further applications. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the uncontrolled TR exothermic reaction for safe battery system design. In this study, different LIBs are tested by lateral heating in a closed experimental chamber filled with nitrogen. Moreover, the relevant thermal characteristic parameters, gas composition, and deflagration limit during the battery TR process are calculated and compared. Results indicate that the TR behavior of NCM batteries is more severe than that of LFP batteries, and the TR reactions becomes more severe with the increase of energy density. Under the inert atmosphere of nitrogen, the primarily generated gases are H2, CO, CO2, and hydrocarbons. The TR gas deflagration limits and characteristic parameter calculations of different cathode materials are refined and summarized, guiding safe battery design and battery selection for power systems.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Aging / Deflagration / deflagration limit / Design and construction / Disasters / Electric vehicles / Electrode materials / Electrolytes / Energy / Energy storage / Exothermic reactions / Experiments / Explosions / Gas composition / gas generation analysis / Gases / Heat / Inert atmospheres / Lithium cells / Lithium-ion batteries / lithium-ion battery / Mathematical analysis / Nitrogen / Parameters / Rechargeable batteries / Safety and security measures / Storage batteries / Systems design / Thermal properties / Thermal runaway / Thermocouples