Innovation in Lithium battery Safety

Impact Solutions often take a reactive approach to offer bespoke testing to overcome our client’s challenges. For example, our client wanted to investigate lithium battery safety, specifically the impact of cell-gas condensate on plastic materials and we offered testing capabilities and plans to achieve this. Nevertheless, the rising demand on electric vehicles (EV) signify that lithium battery safety as well as its performance are more pinnacle than ever. At the same time, battery technology is increasingly more influential to the UK and global economy. Therefore, we proactively make contributions and be involved in an innovations project with a ground-breaking technology which can revolutionise the performance and safety of Lithium-metal and Li-ion cells. The existing electric vehicles have battery management systems (BMS) which typically detects the start of a thermal runaway, or detect conditions which may lead to thermal runaway. Although this is still useful, it is not an adequate solution as the early warning alert is simply not early enough.

Impact has partnered with a company who has a patented prognostic software which offers early warning of battery hazards. This technology can provide early warning notifications as early as one week in advance compared to seconds with the current techniques on the market. This software can detect minor changes in the battery which indicates battery degradation. This early detection mechanism will prevent a series of significant failures including cell swelling, venting and then a thermal runaway (explosion). The project aims to develop a technology to improve safety and efficiency of lithium cells when used in automotive applications. Subsequently, the outcome of the project will benefit the UK’s supply chain right through to consumer by offering more reliable and safer vehicles.

This technology has been established, tested and its market need has been confirmed. The only missing piece of the puzzle is that its performance must be verified. Impact plays a key role in accomplishing the performance verification process with our testing capabilities. Impact is experienced and has the facilities to induce abuse and monitor failing cells in a controlled environment. This is crucial to the progress of the technology, because we must deliberately abuse the cells in different ways (see article on Types of lithium battery failures) to monitor’s its behaviour and effects and verify that the prognostic software is able to detect these changes in advance.