Structural Safety Study of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Low Altitude Vehicles

With the rapid global development of the low-altitude economy, there is an urgent demand for lithium-ion batteries with high safety performance. However, these batteries are highly susceptible to high-speed impact during complex take-off and landing scenarios, which can cause internal structural damage and potentially induce thermal runaway. To systematically investigate the evolution mechanism of structural damage in prismatic lithium-ion batteries for low-altitude aircraft under mechanical impact, this study employs a combined experimental and numerical simulation approach to analyze the influence of impact factors on the internal structure of the battery. A crush test platform was constructed, where a indenter intrudes into the battery at various speeds. Computed tomography (CT) was utilized to capture the internal morphology of the battery cross-sections, and the extracted parameters were used to develop a digital simulation model of the battery under crush conditions. The results indicate that high-speed impact accelerates the plastic deformation of the battery casing, leading to rupture of the separator and electrodes, and ultimately triggering thermal runaway. This study provides critical data and theoretical support for the safety protection design of lithium-ion batteries in low-altitude aircraft.