Crush Tests on Lithium Ion Battery Cells: Identifying Critical Force for Thermal Runaway and Ensuring Transportation Safety

In crash scenarios, batteries are subjected to complex and varied conditions, which are influenced by environmental factors, battery type, and the specific type of collision. The understanding of how these diverse factors influence battery safety performance remains incomplete. Despite the knowledge that battery systems in electric vehicles must work within a temperatures range of -30 °C to 50 °C, limited research has investigated the effect of ambient temperature on mechanical battery failure.This talk aims to address a literature gap by subjecting typical cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells to localized crush tests at temperatures ranging from -40°C to 70°C to determine the impact of ambient temperature on battery behavior during crushing. The selected battery-types include standard cylindrical 18650 cells with a new silica-graphite anode. The test procedure is modeled after testing norms including the UN 38.3 and IEC 62133. The data points measured are voltage, temperature, and penetration depth. This approach enhances comparability with industrial applications. The batteries are crushed until thermal runaway occurs. To simulate the worst-case scenario of a fully charged battery being damaged, all batteries are cycled to 100% SOC. This talk endeavors to shed light on the critical relationship between ambient temperature and the mechanical response of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, providing valuable insights for enhancing battery safety and performance in real-world scenarios.