A Thermal Runaway Simulation on a Lithium Titanate Battery and the Battery Module

Based on the electrochemical and thermal model, a coupled electro-thermal runaway model was developed and implemented using finite element methods. The thermal decomposition reactions when the battery temperature exceeds the material decomposition temperature were embedded into the model. The temper...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Man Chen, Qiujuan Sun, Yongqi Li, Ke Wu, Bangjin Liu, Peng Peng, Qingsong Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2015-01-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/8/1/490
Description
Summary:Based on the electrochemical and thermal model, a coupled electro-thermal runaway model was developed and implemented using finite element methods. The thermal decomposition reactions when the battery temperature exceeds the material decomposition temperature were embedded into the model. The temperature variations of a lithium titanate battery during a series of charge-discharge cycles under different current rates were simulated. The results of temperature and heat generation rate demonstrate that the greater the current, the faster the battery temperature is rising. Furthermore, the thermal influence of the overheated cell on surrounding batteries in the module was simulated, and the variation of temperature and heat generation during thermal runaway was obtained. It was found that the overheated cell can induce thermal runaway in other adjacent cells within 3 mm distance in the battery module if the accumulated heat is not dissipated rapidly.
ISSN:1996-1073