Investigating the Effects of Mechanical Damage on the Electrical Response of Li-ion Pouch Cells

Abstract

Li-ion batteries (LIB) are used in many applications because of their high-power/energy density, long life cycling, and low self-discharge rate. The use of LIB continues to grow every day, and the necessity for proper safety standards grows as well. A key aspect for safe utilization of LIB is determining their safety and remaining useful life (RUL). Battery characteristics degrade over time under normal and extreme operating conditions and modeling the electrochemical processes can improve RUL estimations. Extreme operating conditions such as abnormal temperatures and charge/discharge rates are believed to exacerbate the rate of degradation. Li-ion batteries are also susceptible to mechanical damage, which may lead to an electrical short. In severe cases, mechanical damage causes a thermal run away, and possibly explosions or fires. In the event of a car accident, battery packs can be damage without an electrical short or immediate thermal run away. Currently, there is no reliable batt