Analysis of the Thermal Runaway Mitigation Performances of Dielectric Fluids During Overcharge Abuse Tests of Lithium-Ion Cells with Lithium Titanate Oxide Anodes

Lithium titanate oxide cells are gaining attention in electric vehicle applications due to their ability to support high-current charging and their enhanced thermal stability. However, despite these advantages, safety concerns, particularly thermal runaway, pose significant challenges during abuse c...

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Main Authors: Carla Menale, Antonio Nicolò Mancino, Francesco Vitiello, Vincenzo Sglavo, Francesco Vellucci, Laura Caiazzo, Roberto Bubbico
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:World Electric Vehicle Journal
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2032-6653/15/12/554
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author Carla Menale
Antonio Nicolò Mancino
Francesco Vitiello
Vincenzo Sglavo
Francesco Vellucci
Laura Caiazzo
Roberto Bubbico
author_facet Carla Menale
Antonio Nicolò Mancino
Francesco Vitiello
Vincenzo Sglavo
Francesco Vellucci
Laura Caiazzo
Roberto Bubbico
author_sort Carla Menale
collection DOAJ
description Lithium titanate oxide cells are gaining attention in electric vehicle applications due to their ability to support high-current charging and their enhanced thermal stability. However, despite these advantages, safety concerns, particularly thermal runaway, pose significant challenges during abuse conditions such as overcharging. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of various dielectric fluids in mitigating thermal runaway during overcharge abuse tests of cylindrical LTO cells with a capacity of 10 Ah. The experimental campaign focused on overcharging fully charged cells (starting at 100% State of Charge) at a current of 40A (4C). The tests were conducted under two conditions: the first benchmark test involved a cell exposed to air, while the subsequent tests involved cells submerged in different dielectric fluids. These fluids included two perfluoropolyether fluorinated fluids (PFPEs) with boiling points of 170 °C and 270 °C, respectively, a synthetic ester, and a silicone oil. The results were analyzed to determine the fluids’ ability to delay possible thermal runaway and prevent catastrophic failures. The findings demonstrate that some dielectric fluids can delay thermal runaway, with one fluid showing superior performance with respect to the others in preventing fire during thermal runaway. The top-performing fluid was further evaluated in a simulated battery pack environment, confirming its ability to mitigate thermal runaway risks. These results provide important insights for improving the safety of battery systems in electric vehicles.
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spelling doaj-art-b43bc9bf2d1f4b06982587894e82fa7b2024-12-27T14:59:33ZengMDPI AGWorld Electric Vehicle Journal2032-66532024-11-01151255410.3390/wevj15120554Analysis of the Thermal Runaway Mitigation Performances of Dielectric Fluids During Overcharge Abuse Tests of Lithium-Ion Cells with Lithium Titanate Oxide AnodesCarla Menale0Antonio Nicolò Mancino1Francesco Vitiello2Vincenzo Sglavo3Francesco Vellucci4Laura Caiazzo5Roberto Bubbico6ENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Dip. TERIN, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, ItalyENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Dip. TERIN, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, ItalyENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Dip. TERIN, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, ItalyENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Dip. TERIN, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, ItalyENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Dip. TERIN, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, ItalyENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Dip. SSPT, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Chemical, Materials and Environmental Engineering, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, ItalyLithium titanate oxide cells are gaining attention in electric vehicle applications due to their ability to support high-current charging and their enhanced thermal stability. However, despite these advantages, safety concerns, particularly thermal runaway, pose significant challenges during abuse conditions such as overcharging. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of various dielectric fluids in mitigating thermal runaway during overcharge abuse tests of cylindrical LTO cells with a capacity of 10 Ah. The experimental campaign focused on overcharging fully charged cells (starting at 100% State of Charge) at a current of 40A (4C). The tests were conducted under two conditions: the first benchmark test involved a cell exposed to air, while the subsequent tests involved cells submerged in different dielectric fluids. These fluids included two perfluoropolyether fluorinated fluids (PFPEs) with boiling points of 170 °C and 270 °C, respectively, a synthetic ester, and a silicone oil. The results were analyzed to determine the fluids’ ability to delay possible thermal runaway and prevent catastrophic failures. The findings demonstrate that some dielectric fluids can delay thermal runaway, with one fluid showing superior performance with respect to the others in preventing fire during thermal runaway. The top-performing fluid was further evaluated in a simulated battery pack environment, confirming its ability to mitigate thermal runaway risks. These results provide important insights for improving the safety of battery systems in electric vehicles.https://www.mdpi.com/2032-6653/15/12/554lithium titanate oxide (LTO) anode cellsthermal runawaydielectric fluids
spellingShingle Carla Menale
Antonio Nicolò Mancino
Francesco Vitiello
Vincenzo Sglavo
Francesco Vellucci
Laura Caiazzo
Roberto Bubbico
Analysis of the Thermal Runaway Mitigation Performances of Dielectric Fluids During Overcharge Abuse Tests of Lithium-Ion Cells with Lithium Titanate Oxide Anodes
World Electric Vehicle Journal
lithium titanate oxide (LTO) anode cells
thermal runaway
dielectric fluids
title Analysis of the Thermal Runaway Mitigation Performances of Dielectric Fluids During Overcharge Abuse Tests of Lithium-Ion Cells with Lithium Titanate Oxide Anodes
title_full Analysis of the Thermal Runaway Mitigation Performances of Dielectric Fluids During Overcharge Abuse Tests of Lithium-Ion Cells with Lithium Titanate Oxide Anodes
title_fullStr Analysis of the Thermal Runaway Mitigation Performances of Dielectric Fluids During Overcharge Abuse Tests of Lithium-Ion Cells with Lithium Titanate Oxide Anodes
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of the Thermal Runaway Mitigation Performances of Dielectric Fluids During Overcharge Abuse Tests of Lithium-Ion Cells with Lithium Titanate Oxide Anodes
title_short Analysis of the Thermal Runaway Mitigation Performances of Dielectric Fluids During Overcharge Abuse Tests of Lithium-Ion Cells with Lithium Titanate Oxide Anodes
title_sort analysis of the thermal runaway mitigation performances of dielectric fluids during overcharge abuse tests of lithium ion cells with lithium titanate oxide anodes
topic lithium titanate oxide (LTO) anode cells
thermal runaway
dielectric fluids
url https://www.mdpi.com/2032-6653/15/12/554
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