Thermophysical abuse couplings in batteries: From electrodes to cells

Thermophysical couplings in batteries must be understood to ensure that batteries remain safe from potential immolation during operation. This article examines the ways in which thermophysical deformation of lithium-ion batteries can lead to explosions and other safety events and then provides a brief review of characterization methods to assess the behavior and results of such deformations. Finally, a recent example of an event “in the wild” is discussed and the mechanisms covered are applied to competing diagnoses of the failure.