Experimental study on suppression of thermal runaway in lithium-ion battery by mixed particle size water mist

Abstract

With the implementation of the green energy development strategy, new energy vehicles and related industries have been experiencing rapid growth, leading to an expansion in the market scale of the lithium-ion battery (LIB) industry. While the high energy density of LIB is being pursued, the risk of thermal runaway (TR) cannot be underestimated. Water mist (WM) is currently considered an efficient and environmentally friendly fire extinguishing agent, highly favored for its exceptional cooling capabilities. In this study, an alternative WM control strategy is proposed that capitalizes on the distinct advantages of varying particle sizes of WM during different cooling stages and integrates them to enhance overall cooling effectiveness. The experimental results demonstrate that the utilization of WM with mixed particle sizes not only reduces the peak temperature of TR, but also significantly shortens the cooling time. Compared to using WM with a single particle size, this method greatly reduces water consumption and enhances its utilization rate. This finding can offer valuable suggestions for the future implementation of WM in battery fire suppression systems design.