Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Fail-Safe Design for Large Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery Systems

Journal Article · · Journal of Power Sources

A fault leading to a thermal runaway in a lithium-ion battery is believed to grow over time from a latent defect. Significant efforts have been made to detect lithium-ion battery safety faults to proactively facilitate actions minimizing subsequent losses. Scaling up a battery greatly changes the thermal and electrical signals of a system developing a defect and its consequent behaviors during fault evolution. In a large-capacity system such as a battery for an electric vehicle, detecting a fault signal and confining the fault locally in the system are extremely challenging. This paper introduces a fail-safe design methodology for large-capacity lithium-ion battery systems. Analysis using an internal short circuit response model for multi-cell packs is presented that demonstrates the viability of the proposed concept for various design parameters and operating conditions. Locating a faulty cell in a multiple-cell module and determining the status of the fault's evolution can be achieved using signals easily measured from the electric terminals of the module. A methodology is introduced for electrical isolation of a faulty cell from the healthy cells in a system to prevent further electrical energy feed into the fault. Experimental demonstration is presented supporting the model results.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Office (EE-3V)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1040919
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5400-54045
Journal Information:
Journal of Power Sources, Journal Name: Journal of Power Sources Journal Issue: 15 July 2012 Vol. 210; ISSN JPSODZ; ISSN 0378-7753
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Fail-safe designs for large capacity battery systems
Patent · Tue May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · OSTI ID:1253356

Battery Capacity Fading Estimation Using a Force-Based Incremental Capacity Analysis
Journal Article · Fri May 27 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of the Electrochemical Society · OSTI ID:1437279

Insight into the deformation features and capacity loss mechanisms of lithium-ion pouch cells under spherical indentation conditions
Journal Article · Sat May 10 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Journal of Power Sources · OSTI ID:2573168