Huang, Peifeng, Ping, Ping, Li, Ke, Chen, Haodong, Wang, Qingsong, Wen, J. X. (Jennifer X.) and Sun, Jinhua (2016) Experimental and modeling analysis of thermal runaway propagation over the large format energy storage battery module with Li4Ti5O12 anode. Applied Energy, 183 . pp. 659-673. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.08.160 ISSN 0306-2619.

PDF WRAP_Applied energy final submitted (002).pdf - Accepted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (3173Kb)

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

Insight of the thermal characteristics and potential flame spread over lithium-ion battery (LIB) modules is important for designing battery thermal management system and fire protection measures. Such thermal characteristics and potential flame spread are also dependent on the different anode and cathode materials as well as the electrolyte. In the present study, thermal behavior and flame propagation over seven 50 A h Li(Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3)O2/Li4Ti5O12 large format LIBs arranged in rhombus and parallel layouts were investigated by directly heating one of the battery units. Such batteries have already been used commercially for energy storage while relatively little is known about its safety features in connection with potential runaway caused fire and explosion hazards. It was found in the present heating tests that fire-impingement resulted in elevated temperatures in the immediate vicinity of the LIBs that were in the range of between 200 °C and 900 °C. Such temperature aggravated thermal runaway (TR) propagation, resulting in rapid temperature rise within the battery module and even explosions after 20 min of “smoldering period”. The thermal runaway and subsequent fire and explosion observed in the heating test was attributed to the violent reduction of the cathode material which coexisted with the electrolyte when the temperature exceeded 260 °C. Separate laboratory tests, which measured the heat and gases generation from samples of the anode and cathode materials using C80 calorimeter, provided insight of the physical-chemistry processes inside the battery when the temperature reaches between 30 °C and 300 °C. The self-accelerating decomposition temperature of the cell, regarded as the critical temperature to trigger TR propagation, was calculated as 126.1 and 139.2 °C using the classical Semenov and Frank-Kamenetskii models and the measurements of the calorimeter with the samples. These are consistent with the measured values in the heating tests in which TR propagated. The events leading to the explosions in the test for the rhombus layout was further analyzed and two possible explanations were postulated and analyzed based on either internal catalytic reactions or Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapor Explosion (BLEVE).

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Engineering > Engineering
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Lithium ion batteries -- Flammability, Lithium ion batteries -- Safety measures, Explosions , Flames, Temperature
Journal or Publication Title:	Applied Energy
Publisher:	Elsevier BV
ISSN:	0306-2619
Official Date:	1 December 2016
Dates:	Date Event 1 December 2016 Published 13 September 2016 Available 27 August 2016 Accepted 30 May 2016 Submitted
Volume:	183
Page Range:	pp. 659-673
DOI:	10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.08.160
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Date of first compliant deposit:	16 September 2016
Date of first compliant Open Access:	29 May 2020
Funder:	Guo jia zi ran ke xue ji jin wei yuan hui (China) [National Natural Science Foundation of China] (NSFC), Horizon 2020 (European Commission) (H2020)
Grant number:	No.51176183, No.2016YFB0100305, No.211134KYSB20150004, No.WK2320000034, No.2013286 (NSFC), No.656582 (H2020)

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads