Quantitative thermal runaway analysis
Discretised Autoclave Thermal Runaway Calorimetry (DATRC) enables understanding of thermal runaway events in unprecedented detail.
Measured Properties
In a single measurement, the following properties are determined:
Vent Gas Release
Total gas volume produced
Gas generation rate
Gas temperature
Energy Release
Total energy released in the thermal event
Energy fraction remaining in the cell
Energy contained in the ejected gas and particles
Particles & Ejecta
Total mass of ejected solids
Total energy contained in particles
Total energy contained in gas
Benefits & Use Cases
Benefits & Test Results
Quantify and understand your real thermal runaway risk
Identify the true worst-case conditions for later testing (e.g. energy remaining in the cell as a function of SOC)
Generate precise inputs for designs and simulations
Cell Development & Selection
Compare cell safety using quantitative data
Understand the safety impacts of chemistry and mechanical design changes
Identify cell bach-to-batch safety variations
Simulation & Data-Driven Engineering
Determine propagation risk and accurately size thermal management and protection systems
Design vent gas channels based on real-world data
Simulate pack behaviour early on, reducing the number of downstream tests
Example Data
Data from three 2170 cell types (4.9 Ah each), triggered by overheating.
Significant differences in the amount of energy remaining in the cell after thermal runaway are observed. Similarly, the amount of released gas, as well as the release rates vary significantly. It can be seen that similar cells can have vastly different safety properties.
Test Details
Limits
Cells up to 100 Ah
All chemistries, including NMC, LFP, Na-ion, etc.
All formats (cylindrical, single-layer and multi-layer pouch, prismatic)
Triggers
Nail / needle penetration
Local hotspot or full-cell overheating
Electrical abuse (short circuit, overcharging, forced discharge, etc.)
Environments
Air or reduced oxygen
Inert atmosphere (argon, nitrogen)
Temperature preconditioning