A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL ELECTROLYTE FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERIESThermal management of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is paramount for multi-cell packs, such as those found in electric vehicles, to ensure safe and sustainable operation. Thermal management systems (TMSs) maintain cell temperatures well below those associated with capacity fade and thermal runaway to ensure safe operation and prolong the useful life of the pack.Current TMSs employ single-phase liquid cooling to the exterior surfaces of every cell, decreasing the volumetric and gravimetric energy density of the pack. In the present study, a novel, internal TMS that utilizes a multi-functional electrolyte (MFE) is investigated, which contains a volatile co-solvent that boils upon heat absorption in small channels in the positive electrode of the cell.
A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL ELECTROLYTE FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERIESThermal management of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is paramount for multi-cell packs, such as those found in electric vehicles, to ensure safe and sustainable operation. Thermal management systems (TMSs) maintain cell temperatures well below those associated with capacity fade and thermal runaway to ensure safe operation and prolong the useful life of the pack.Current TMSs employ single-phase liquid cooling to the exterior surfaces of every cell, decreasing the volumetric and gravimetric energy density of the pack. In the present study, a novel, internal TMS that utilizes a multi-functional electrolyte (MFE) is investigated, which contains a volatile co-solvent that boils upon heat absorption in small channels in the positive electrode of the cell.
The high thermal conduction resistances of lithium-ion batteries severely limits the effectiveness of conventional external thermal management systems. To remove heat from the insulated interior portions of the cell, a large temperature difference is required across the cell, and the center of the electrode stack can exceed the thermal runaway onset temperature even under normal cycling conditions. One potential solution is to remove heat locally inside the cell by evaporating a volatile component of the electrolyte. In this system, a high vapor pressure co-solvent evaporates at a low temperature prior to triggering thermal runaway. The vapor generated is transported to the skin of the cell, where it is condensed and transported back to the internal portion of the cell via surface tension forces. For this system to function, a co-solvent that has a boiling point below the thermal runaway onset temperature must also allow the cell to function under normal operating conditions. Low boiling point hydrofluoroethers (HFE) were first used by Arai to reduce LIB electrolyte flash points, and have been proven to be compatible with LIB chemistry. In the present study, HFE-7000 and ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) 1:1 by volume are used to solvate 1.0 M LiTFSI to produce a candidate electrolyte for the proposed cooling system. Copper antimonide (Cu2Sb) and lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) are used in a full cell architecture with the candidate electrolyte in a custom electrolyte boiling facility. The facility enables direct viewing of the vapor generation within the full cell and characterizes the galvanostatic electrochemical performance. Test results show that the LFP/Cu2Sb cell is capable of operation even when a portion of the more volatile HFE-7000 is continuously evaporated.
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