Thermal Behavior of Lithium- and Sodium-Ion Batteries: A Review on Heat Generation, Battery Degradation, Thermal Runway – Perspective and Future Directions

Abstract

Safety is a major challenge plaguing the use of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) in electric vehicle (EV) applications. A wide range of operating conditions with varying temperatures and drive cycles can lead to battery abuse. A dangerous consequence of these abuses is thermal runaway (TR), an exponential increase in temperature inside the battery caused by the exothermic decomposition of the cell materials that leads to fire and explosion. It is imperative to develop methodologies to accurately predict and mitigate thermal runway. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are inherently safer than LIBs. In addition to offering better safety, SIBs are gaining momentum due to the abundance and low cost of their raw materials compared to the limited lithium resources and high cost of elements such as cobalt, copper, and nickel used in LIBs. However, the challenge of low energy density impedes the maturation of sodium-ion technology to the same level as lithium-ion technology. There are additional challenges to the acceptability of sodium-ion batteries due to the poor sodium kinetics during insertion reactions, leading to rapid material degradation. Additionally, the higher solubility of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) observed in the case of SIBs may lead to undesired side reactions, causing increased heat generation. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the heat-release mechanisms, their differences, and prediction methodologies for the two battery chemistries. Various experimental and modeling approaches for TR detection from the literature are reviewed. Future research directions toward the development of a battery management system (BMS) with the capability to identify the precursors to thermal runaway and implement mitigation strategies are also discussed.

Review on Thermal Management of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles: Advances, Challenges, and Outlook

“…When the battery is charged, lithium ions enter the carbon layer of the negative electrode from the positive electrode . Battery charging and discharging process generate ohmic heat, electrochemical reaction heat, polarization heat, etc., triggering the battery temperature to rise . Therefore, the battery needs to be managed thermally, otherwise there will be a safety hazard …”

“…31 Battery charging and discharging process generate ohmic heat, electrochemical reaction heat, polarization heat, etc., triggering the battery temperature to rise. 32 Therefore, the battery needs to be managed thermally, otherwise there will be a safety hazard. 33 Table 1 summarizes the advantages, disadvantages, service life, and energy density of different power batteries.…”

Mechanochemical Synthesis and Structure of the Alkali Metal Magnesium Chalcogenide Na6MgS4

“…Although LIBs technologies are mature, there are still concerns about their safety risks of leakage and explosion since several incidents occurred in mobile phones, EVs, and airplanes. 5,6 Consequently, all-solid-state sodium ion batteries, which use non-flammable inorganic solid electrolytes (SE), are attracting much attention as safer emerging technologies. Furthermore, the abundance of Na and its easy extraction from seawater would mitigate the lithium supply risks expected due to the increasing demand for EVs.…”

“…Since electrification of transportation was identified to be the key to reducing fossil fuel consumption, huge investments were dedicated to the development and manufacturing of lithium ion-batteries (LIBs). , LIBs technologies are mainly constituted of a positive electrode [lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide, lithium nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide, or lithium iron phosphate], a negative electrode [graphite], and an organic liquid electrolyte [a salt dissolved in a carbonate or a polymer]. Although LIBs technologies are mature, there are still concerns about their safety risks of leakage and explosion since several incidents occurred in mobile phones, EVs, and airplanes. , Consequently, all-solid-state sodium ion batteries, which use non-flammable inorganic solid electrolytes (SE), are attracting much attention as safer emerging technologies. Furthermore, the abundance of Na and its easy extraction from seawater would mitigate the lithium supply risks expected due to the increasing demand for EVs. , …”

Virtual Special Issue on New Energy Developments at IIT Roorkee, India

“…This topic includes one review and one research article. Velumani and Bansal reviewed the thermal behavior of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with elaborate accounts of their heat-release mechanisms, their differences, and prediction methodologies for the two types of battery chemistries. Different experimental and modeling approaches for thermal runaway (TR) detection along with the need for the development of a battery management system have been emphasized in this paper.…”