Numerical Study of Thermal Runaway of a Lithium-Ion Cell at Critical Conditions with Different Cooling Mediums

Thermal runaway (TR) is still a major threat affecting the growth and sustainability of the EV industry. Along with mechanical and electrical abuse, temperature-dependent thermal runaway is influencing the cell at its chemistry level. The 3D homogeneous multiscale multidimensional model (MSMD) is developed using a finite volume method to study the thermal characteristics of a 18,650 cell for various cathode materials, heating positions, and environmental conditions. Inline air cooling is found capable of delaying thermal runaway by 1.5 times in contrast with transverse cooling. Heating the cell at the cathode edge position is susceptible to fail abruptly when heated over 1000 W/m2. Thus phase change materials were promisable in improving the cell life influencing both critical temperature and runaway time when studied over different thicknesses. A hybrid battery thermal management system can tackle thermal runaways with certain geometrical modifications.