Energy Storage Science and Technology ›› 2023, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (7): 2246-2255.doi: 10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2023.0315

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Early warning of the thermal runaway of liquid-cooled LiFePO4 battery module based on the sudden change of air-pressure signal detection

Jingxuan MA1(), Yuhang SONG1, Shuang SHI1, Nawei LYU1, Kangyong YIN2, Guirong WANG3, Kaiyuan DU3, Yang JIN1()   

  1. 1.School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
    2.Electric Power Scientific Research Institute of State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co, Nanjing 211103, Jiangsu, China
    3.CGN New Energy Henan Branch, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan, China
  • Received:2023-05-05 Revised:2023-06-08 Online:2023-07-05 Published:2023-07-25
  • Contact: Yang JIN E-mail:majingxuan6585@163.com;yangjin@zzu.edu.cn

Abstract:

In recent years, energy storage technology has been developing rapidly; thermal safety issues have been one of the elements limiting its large-scale promotion. Liquid-cooled LiFePO4 modules have been widely used owing to their excellent electrochemical performance and thermal management features. However, they still cannot eliminate thermal runaway misfires caused by abuse and need the support of early warning technology to guarantee the normal operation of energy storage systems. In this study, we use an embedded air-pressure sensor and the thermal management system of a liquid-cooled module of LiFePO4 battery to detect the sudden change of air pressure caused by the opening of the battery safety valve in real time and realize the early warning of the thermal runaway of a liquid-cooled module. The experimental platform for the liquid-cooled module thermal runaway and Fluent fluid simulation platform is built to study the thermal runaway phenomenon of single-cell overcharge in a liquid-cooled module, verify the effectiveness of early warning, and analyze the fluctuation and distribution characteristics of air-pressure signal in the module with the development of the internal degradation of the battery during the overcharge process. The results show that when the liquid-cooled module with a volume of 0.18 m3 is overcharged with a 1 C multiplier on a 13 Ah LiFePO4 single-cell battery, a sudden change of 200 Pa occurs when the battery safety valve opens, the battery temperature reaches the highest after an average of ~304 s, and a complete thermal runaway occurs. To further optimize the selection and arrangement of the barometric pressure sensor, the barometric pressure signal at each position on the front panel of the liquid-cooled module is studied. To further optimize the selection and arrangement of the air-pressure sensor, the specific changes of the air-pressure signal at each position on the front panel of the liquid-cooled module are studied, and the suitable selection range and the best installation position of the acquisition frequency of the air-pressure sensor and other parameters were obtained. The results provide theoretical and data support for the application and safety protection of air-pressure sensors in liquid-cooled modules.

Key words: liquid-cooled module, LiFePO4 battery, thermal runaway warning, air pressure detection

CLC Number: