Accelerating Rate Calorimetry and Complementary Techniques to Characterize Battery Safety Hazards

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Lithium-based battery hazards are significant and well-documented.
• Traditional risk assessment using matrices struggles with the stochastic nature of battery failures.
• Existing characterization tools are insufficient for quantifying the severity of battery failure events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt Accelerated Rate Calorimetry (ARC) for safe, controlled induction and characterization of lithium-ion battery failures.
• To quantify critical safety parameters during various battery abuse scenarios.
• To provide a reliable method for assessing battery failure severity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an extended volume calorimeter for safe cell failure testing.
• Applied a thermal "heat-wait-seek" method to induce controlled cell failure.
• Collected data on thermal runaway onset, pressure, gas evolution, maximum temperature, and visual decomposition.

Main Results:

• Successfully characterized critical safety parameters during thermal runaway.
• Quantified degrees of battery failure severity under various abuse conditions (thermal, electrochemical, electrical, physical).
• Demonstrated the capability of ARC to capture all heat generation during adiabatic failure events.

Conclusions:

• Accelerated Rate Calorimetry (ARC) is a valuable tool for characterizing lithium-ion battery failure severity.
• The described procedures enable safe and controlled collection of crucial battery safety data.
• This methodology enhances situational awareness for decision-makers and stakeholders regarding battery risks.