Improving the Effective Utilization of Liquid Nitrogen for Suppressing Thermal Runaway in Lithium-Ion Battery Packs

Abstract

In recent years, the energy revolution has driven the rapid development of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). A fire suppression system capable of rapidly and effectively extinguishing LIB fires constitutes the last line of defense for ensuring the safe operation of the LIB industry. In this study, an experimental platform simulating the storage environment of LIBs in energy-storage stations was constructed, and liquid nitrogen (LN) was employed to conduct fire suppression tests on LIBs. The effective utilization of 17.4 kg of LN during the suppression process inside the battery module was quantified. In addition, fire compartments were established within the battery module, and a strategy for enhancing the LN suppression effectiveness was proposed. The results indicate that, without intervention, the thermal runaway propagation (TRP) rate within the LIB module gradually accelerates. After LN injection, the effective utilization of LN for extinguishing individual LIBs decreases progressively along the sequence of TRP. Creating fire compartments inside the PACK using 6 mm aerogel blankets effectively reduces the transfer of energy from the region undergoing thermal runaway (TR) to other regions, while simultaneously enhancing the extinguishing performance of LN. Under the same LN dosage, the introduction of fire compartments increases the effective utilization from 0.037 to 0.051. However, as the compartment volume decreases, the degree of improvement in LN utilization is reduced. This work is expected to provide guidance for the engineering application of LN-based fire suppression systems to inhibit LIB TR and its propagation.