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How likely would an electric vehicle battery self-combust and explode? The chances of that happening are actually pretty slim: Some analysts say that gasoline vehicles are nearly 30 times more likely to catch fire than electric vehicles. But recent news of EVs catching fire while parked have left many consumers – and researchers – scratching their heads over how these rare events could possibly happen.
Researchers have long known that high electric currents can lead to "thermal runaway" – a chain reaction that can cause a battery to overheat, catch fire, and explode. But without a reliable method to measure currents inside a resting battery, it has not been clear why some batteries go into thermal runaway, even when an EV is parked.
Now, by using an imaging technique called "operando X-ray microtomography," scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley have shown that the presence of large local currents inside batteries at rest after fast charging could be one of the causes behind thermal runaway. Their findings were reported in the journal ACS Nano.
"We are the first to capture real-time 3D images that measure changes in the state of charge at the particle level inside a lithium-ion battery after it''s been charged," said Nitash P. Balsara, the senior author on the study. Balsara is a faculty senior scientist in Berkeley Lab''s Materials Sciences Division and a UC Berkeley professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.
"What''s exciting about this work is that Nitash Balsara''s group isn''t just looking at images – They''re using the images to determine how batteries work and change in a time-dependent way. This study is a culmination of many years of work," said co-author Dilworth Y. Parkinson, staff scientist and deputy for photon science operations at Berkeley Lab''s Advanced Light Source (ALS).
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Lithium-ion batteries, or "Li-ion" for short, are one of the most ubiquitous forms of portable power in the world today. Most handheld devices like smartphones use Li-ion batteries, though scaled-up Li-ion batteries have also been used in various electrical vehicles. The fact that they''re rechargeable makes them much more efficient than traditional, disposable batteries, and for the most part, they''re a very safe technology. However, they do have one major flaw that''s been made more apparent in recent years.
In certain circumstances, Li-ion batteries have been known to suddenly catch fire. While not a common occurrence, instances of lithium fires have been frequent enough in the last few years that firefighting and rescue agencies have started putting together specialized procedures for detecting and containing such fires. (It''s why EVs catch fire too.) Of course, the best option is to prevent a fire from sparking up in the first place. So, what exactly causes a Li-ion battery to catch fire?
The major culprit in Li-ion battery fires is a chemical process known as thermal runaway. In layman''s terms, thermal runaway occurs when, for one reason or another, something causes a spark inside the Li-ion battery''s casing, leading to a chain reaction that eventually causes that casing to explode. That explosion can start a fire on its own, but in the worst-case scenario, if the battery is near flammable materials like cloth or oil, the fire can spread very quickly.
So why does this happen? A Li-ion battery''s casing is airtight, holding electro-conductive gasses and chemicals. If the casing is compromised through physical damage or overheated from improper charging, the gasses are vaporized, and the case expands. When it reaches a critical point, it ruptures, releasing flammable fumes that can ignite violently. If the battery in question was in a smartphone, for instance, the phone would most likely explode.
Li-ion fires are an extremely rare occurrence, but they can happen under the right circumstances. Generally, a fire can spark up in a battery that hasn''t been properly cared for. If the battery has been subject to regular physical damage or high heat, the likelihood of a fire increases. Ergo, to prevent a fire, be gentle with devices containing Li-ion batteries and only charge them with compatible charging cables. You should also try not to leave devices on charge for longer than necessary, even if they have automatic disconnection features.
In the event a lithium fire occurs, it should be handled like most emergency fire situations. Extinguish the flame with a chemical fire extinguisher and move the device away from flammable materials (fabrics, oils, other Li-ion devices, etc.). Be aware that even if you extinguish the fire, it can spark back up, especially if the device has more than one battery. Call your local fire department to have them come and dispose of the device properly.
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