Improving wettability and preventing Li-ion batteries from thermal runaway using microchannels

Effects of using microchannels on the wettability of the porous electrodes and preventing the battery cell from thermal runaway have been studied. Two-dimensional Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) simulation was carried out to simulate the effects of embedded microchannels inside the electrodes on the electrolyte transport in the porous electrodes as well as their effects to lead the generated gases during thermal runaway out of the battery cell. The two-phase intermolecular potential model was utilized to investigate the microscopic behavior of the electrolyte flow in the porous electrodes. The results showed that embedding microchannels inside the electrodes significantly improves the wettability of the electrodes, especially for the electrodes with lower porosities. Furthermore, the use of microchannels inside the electrodes could considerably reduce possibility of occurrence of the thermal runaway. During thermal runaway, the electrodes with higher number of smaller microchannels could drive the generated gases out of the battery cell much quicker than the electrodes with lower number of larger microchannels. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.