Ram-Dent Thermal Runaway Triggering Device

About this technology

Overview

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a device that projects a dome-ended nail at a Li-ion battery cell can wall to initiate a thermal runaway (TR) event by denting it. The dent and resulting internal stress wave tears the separator between the anode and cathode within the battery cell causing a short circuit that leads to TR and battery deflagration. Initiating TR in battery cells is an important part of Li-ion battery R&D to better understand the effects of TR, and to make related safety improvements. The novelty of this technology is that the separator is destroyed from the inside without perforating the battery cell can itself or adding thermal energy as a trigger mechanism. This approach results in a more accurate simulation of field-like short circuits and TR for Li-ion battery research and development compared to current state of the art (SoT). Additionally, this device could be used to enhance or supplant traditional testing methods such as those that implement heat-based TR initiation, or mechanical insult where the material integrity of a battery cell is compromised. The Ram-Dent Thermal Runaway Triggering Device was designed to be used in conjunction with NASA’s fractional thermal runaway calorimeters (FTRC) to obtain calorimetry measurements of TR events for fast Li-ion battery failure evaluation. However, this device could be modified to work with other calorimeters designed for the testing of a single Li-ion battery cell or battery-pack.