A lithium-ion battery enters thermal runaway mode, when a violent chemical reaction causes an uncontrollable rise in heat. This very high temperature can easily spread to adjacent cells, and further afield to the environment beyond. Scientists have invented a smart sensor that sniffs runaway batteries before they explode.
Why We Need to Sense Runaway Batteries Soon
The researchers were attached to a partnership between The University of Liverpool, England, and Xi’an Jiaotong University in China.They were well-aware of the two-edged sword of lithium-ion batteries:
- Powerful, efficient lithium-ion batteries ought to have long lifespans.
- But they can become dangerous if they overheat, or are damaged.
A smart sensor that sniffs runaway thermal events before they escalate, could be an important step to improving battery safety.
Lithium-ion batteries have become such an important resource, that we can no longer ignore their runaway risk. Therefore, according to private homeland security company iHLS, we need to face up to this critical hazard, and tackle it.
Lithium-ion batteries are too ubiquitous in electric cars, and critical medical and scientific equipment, to ignore this situation any longer. We need to know when batteries are failing, and stop them entering the thermal runaway stage.
The Smart Sensor That Sniffs Runaway As It Begins
The team from The University of Liverpool, England, and Xi’an Jiaotong University in China, decided their solution lay in detecting ethylene carbonate in failing batteries. This is a highly polar solvent that plays a critical role in lithium-ion battery electrolyte.
These electrolytes release their ethylene carbonate as a volatile vapor, as they begin to degrade. The researchers followed this clue, as they realized that detecting the gas could prevent catastrophic battery failures.
And so they developed a novel sensor, able to detect even minute quantities of ethylene carbonate vapor. Their device could someday become an integral part of all battery management systems everywhere.
More Information
A Runaway Lithium Battery for Safety Sake
Ventilation Conditions and Thermal Runaway
