3D Modeling of Thermal Runaway in Pouch Cells: Effects of Surface Heating and Heating Rates

Thermal runaway in battery cells presents a critical safety concern, emphasizing the need for a thorough understanding of thermal behavior to enhance battery safety and performance. This study introduces a newly developed AutoLion 3D thermal runaway model, which builds on the earlier AutoLion 1D framework and offers significantly faster computational performance compared to traditional CFD models. The model is validated through simulations of the heat-wait-search mode of the Accelerating Rate Calorimeter (ARC), accurately predicting thermal runaway by matching experimental temperature profiles from peer-reviewed studies. Once validated, the model is employed to investigate the thermal behavior of 3D LFPO cells under controlled heating conditions, applying heat to one or more surfaces at a time while modeling heat transfer from non-heated surfaces. The primary objective is to understand how these localized heating patterns impact temperature profiles, including average core temperatures and surface temperatures for each heated surface, and to examine the evolution of 3D temperature distributions over time. Additionally, the study explores the effects of varying heating rates using the ARC to assess how different rates influence the thermal runaway process. This comprehensive approach aims to provide valuable insights into the effects of surface heating and heating rates on thermal stability, thereby advancing our understanding of thermal runaway mechanisms and contributing to the development of safer battery designs and improved thermal management strategies of batteries.