Strain-rate dependence of the failure behavior of Lithium-Ion pouch cells under impact loading

A series of dynamic indentation tests over a velocity range of five orders of magnitude was conducted on Lithium-ion pouch cells with two different impactors. The strain-rate dependence of the failure development and fracture mode was analyzed by studying the cell's external response during the intrusion process and investigating postmortem internal fracture surfaces. A detailed force intrusion analysis is combined here for the first time with postmortem investigations of dynamically loaded cells. The paper describes the experimental setup and test results in detail and discusses the implications. The findings have great impact on micromechanical model development and crash safety of battery cells.