Abstract:

The thermal runaway propagation (TRP) of Li-ion batteries poses a substantial fire and explosion risks, preventing their further widespread application. Herein, glass fiber aerogel and ceramic fiber mats are used to suppress the TRP in batteries, exploring the influence of the type and thickness of the insulation material on the suppression effect. Two module layout methods are designed: single barrier and spacer barrier modules. The former involves placing a piece of insulation material in every other battery, while the latter involves placing a piece of insulation material in every two batteries. Research results show that in a single barrier module, glass fiber aerogels with a thickness of 2 and 1 mm can effectively prevent TRP, and the temperature rises of the front and back surfaces of the protected battery are 193.6℃, 86.1 ℃, and 222.6 ℃, 86.8 ℃, respectively. However, a 2 mm-thick ceramic fiber felt can only delay the speed of TRP butnot completely prevent it. In the spacer barrier module, using a 2 mm glass fiber aerogel as a barrier results in a temperature rise of 168.3 ℃ and 56 ℃ on the front and back surfaces of the protected battery, demonstrating that the spacer barrier module offers an enhanced protective effect on the battery under abuse conditions. To a certain extent, the results of this study alleviate the contradiction between the use of thermal insulation materials and the energy density of modules. The findings hold important theoretical guidance for the safety design of lithium-ion battery modules.

Key words: lithium-ion battery, thermal runaway propagation, prevent, thermal insulation material, layout mode