Issue 30, 2023, Issue in Progress

Harmful effects of lithium-ion battery thermal runaway: scale-up tests from cell to second-life modules

Abstract

For a comprehensive safety assessment of stationary lithium-ion-battery applications, it is necessary to better understand the consequences of thermal runaway (TR). In this study, experimental tests comprising twelve TR experiments including four single-cell tests, two cell stack tests and six second-life module tests (2.65 kW h and 6.85 kW h) with an NMC-cathode under similar initial conditions were conducted. The temperature (direct at cells/modules and in near field), mass loss, cell/module voltage, and qualitative vent gas composition (Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and diode laser spectroscopy (DLS) for HF) were measured. The results of the tests showed that the battery TR is accompanied by severe and in some cases violent chemical reactions. In most cases, TR was not accompanied by pre-gassing of the modules. Jet flames up to a length of 5 m and fragment throwing to distances to more than 30 m were detected. The TR of the tested modules was accompanied by significant mass loss of up to 82%. The maximum HF concentration measured was 76 ppm, whereby the measured HF concentrations in the module tests were not necessarily higher than that in the cell stack tests. Subsequently, an explosion of the released vent gas occurred in one of the tests, resulting in the intensification of the negative consequences. According to the evaluation of the gas measurements with regard to toxicity base on the “Acute Exposure Guideline Levels” (AEGL), there is some concern with regards to CO, which may be equally as important to consider as the release of HF.

Graphical abstract: Harmful effects of lithium-ion battery thermal runaway: scale-up tests from cell to second-life modules

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 May 2023
Accepted
26 Jun 2023
First published
10 Jul 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2023,13, 20761-20779

Harmful effects of lithium-ion battery thermal runaway: scale-up tests from cell to second-life modules

R. Tschirschwitz, C. Bernardy, P. Wagner, T. Rappsilber, C. Liebner, Sarah-K. Hahn and U. Krause, RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 20761 DOI: 10.1039/D3RA02881J

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