Thermal runaway propagation behavior and gas production characteristics of NCM622 battery modules at different state of charge

Abstract

Due to the complex thermal runaway propagation behavior of lithium-ion battery modules and the generation of a substantial amount of combustible mixed gases during the process, their safety performance is compromised, hindering their large-scale application in the fields of energy storage and automotive industries. Therefore, in this paper, the thermal runaway propagation behavior and gas production characteristics of Li (Ni0.6Co0.2Mn0.2) O2 battery modules with different state of charge were investigated in closed space. The results show that no thermal runaway occurred in the battery module when the state of charge was below 25% in closed space. With the decrease of the state of charge, both the internal thermal propagation speed and the surface temperature of the lithium-ion battery were reduced. The total gas production volume from 17.48 mol to 6.17 mol when the state of charge was reduced from 100% to 50%. The main gases produced during thermal runaway were CO2, CO, H2, CH4, and C2H4. With the decrease of the state of charge, the content of CO2 increased, the content of C2H4 and CO decreased, and the content of H2 and CH4 remained unchanged with the state of charge. The results contribute to safety measures for preventing thermal runaway accidents in lithium-ion batteries, offering guidance for the secure design of lithium-ion battery packs, and thus enhancing the overall safety of lithium-ion batteries.