Combustion characteristics and modeling of thermal runaway gases from large-capacity lithium iron phosphate batteries

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.0402

Abstract

Abstract:

To address fire hazards posed by thermal runaway gases in large-capacity lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, this study combines experiments and numerical simulations to investigate combustion characteristics and reaction pathways. A combustion‐rate tester was used to measure flame propagation speed and observe flame morphology, while Chemkin-Pro simulations quantified radical concentrations and the sensitivity of elementary reactions. The flame morphology depends on the equivalence ratio and is more stable under fuel-rich conditions. Flame propagation speed shows a unimodal dependence on equivalence ratio, peaking at approximately 56.4 cm/s at ϕ = 1.1, where heat release and radical concentrations are highest and flame propagation is most stable. Variations in temperature and pressure alter radical distributions and reaction-step sensitivities, thereby affecting flame propagation speed: the speed increases with temperature and decreases with pressure. These results provide a theoretical basis for prevention, monitoring, and emergency response to thermal-runaway gas fires in energy-storage stations and inform the optimization of safety design and fire-suppression strategies for such installations.

Key words: lithium-ion battery, thermal runaway gas, combustion mechanism, flame propagation speed

CLC Number:

X 932.4

Chenyu ZHANG, Zhigang MEI, Ming HU, Shilin WANG, Xuewen GENG, Huaibin WANG, Tu HE. Combustion characteristics and modeling of thermal runaway gases from large-capacity lithium iron phosphate batteries[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2025, 14(10): 3934-3941.

Figures/Tables 11

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