An Experimental Study on the Thermal Runaway Propagation of Cycling Aged Lithium-Ion Battery Modules

Abstract

The primary concerns for individuals using lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are aging and thermal runaway (TR). This paper focuses on the thermal runaway propagation (TRP) of cycling aged LIB modules. The impacts of state of charge (SOC), state of health, and cyclic aging temperature on TRP in LIB modules are investigated. The analysis includes parameters such as temperature, voltage, and mass of the modules during TRP. It was found that as SOC increases, the maximum increase in temperature and maximum temperature rate of the modules increased, as did the total mass loss and smoke emissions. The average heat transfer between adjacent cells was higher for the lower SOC. Cycle aging reduces the thermal stability of LIBs, leading to a lower maximum temperature and maximum temperature rate, as well as a larger mass loss compared with fresh battery modules. Regarding aging temperature, low-temperature aging reduces the total duration of TRP compared with room temperature, but it increases the maximum temperature rate and causes greater mass loss. Aging also increases the average heat transfer between adjacent cells.