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Batteries for Sustainability pp 285–318Cite as

Lithium-Ion Batteries, Safety

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Abstract

Safety of lithium-ion batteries is a critical topic that has not received adequate attention in the past, largely due to the fact that data regarding safety failures have been severely restricted. As a result, there are numerous misunderstandings in a field that has not received the same degree of scientific and technical rigor as other areas of lithium-ion battery technology development. However, safety of lithium-ion batteries will become even more important as lithium-ion technology enters transportation markets. Under suitable triggers, Li-ion cells can experience thermal runaway, i.e., the rapid increase in cell temperature accompanied by venting, vent-with-flame, ejection of cell parts, fire, and explosion. Safety failures of lithium-ion cells can result from a variety of triggers including overcharging, overheating, crushing, mechanical impact, and external short circuits. Safety tests have been devised for all these abuses, with varying degrees of fidelity. However, most safety incidents that have taken place with lithium-ion batteries occur due to the slow and rare development in cells of internal short circuits that mature to the point that they result in thermal runaway. Most safety tests carried out in the laboratory or factory do not replicate the conditions by which safety incidents actually occur in the field. These issues are characterized in detail, and an improved overall framework for considering lithium-ion battery safety is suggested.

This chapter was originally published as part of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology edited by Robert A. Meyers. DOI:10.1007/978-1-4419-0851-3

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Abbreviations

Abuse:

External stress applied to a battery or cell that is not anticipated to occur under normal operating conditions and may cause the cell to experience thermal runaway.

Cascading:

Process by which one cell in a battery releases sufficient heat that thermal runaway of one or more neighboring cells in a pack ensues.

Field-failure:

Infrequent safety incident that occurs in lithium-ion cells/batteries in the field under “normal” operating conditions and does not appear to have an obvious external trigger, but is often caused by an internal short circuit. Such internal short circuits are often caused by foreign metal particles.

Safe Zone:

For a given cell construction and materials, and for a given heat transfer environment, conditions of energy and power associated with an internal short such that a thermal runaway is not possible.

Thermal runaway:

A process of uncontrolled heat release and rapid temperature rise.

Threshold energy:

For a given cell design and heat transfer environment, an energy value dissipated in an internal short below which no thermal runaway is possible.

Threshold power:

For a given cell design and heat transfer environment, an internal short power below which no thermal runaway is possible.

Trigger for thermal runaway:

A stimulus that initiates thermal runaway in a Li-ion cell. Examples of potential triggers include a variety of abuses as well as internal short circuits created by foreign metal particles.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the US Department of Energy for portions of this work. In addition, countless discussions with present and past colleagues at TIAX over several years have resulted in many insights regarding battery safety captured in this work. Specifically, the authors gratefully acknowledge Drs. Christopher H. McCoy, Mehmet Rona, Jane Rempel, Ms. Rosalind Takata, Drs. Bookeun Oh, S.K. Singh, Karen Thomas-Alyea, and Per Onnerud. Investigation of various safety incidents also led to very productive discussions with major battery companies and portable product companies which, though anonymous, are gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. TIAX LLC, 35 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA, 02421-3102, USA

    Brian Barnett, David Ofer, Suresh Sriramulu & Richard Stringfellow

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  1. Brian Barnett
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  2. David Ofer
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  3. Suresh Sriramulu
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Correspondence to Brian Barnett .

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  1. Broddarp of Nevada, Fountain Springs Drive 2161, Henderson, 89014, Nevada, USA

    Ralph J. Brodd

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Barnett, B., Ofer, D., Sriramulu, S., Stringfellow, R. (2013). Lithium-Ion Batteries, Safety. In: Brodd, R. (eds) Batteries for Sustainability. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5791-6_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5791-6_9

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