A Study on the Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Prevention Diagnostic Technique Based on Time-Resolved Partial Discharge Algorithm
Open Access
Abstract
Lithium-ion batteries are extensively employed in electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESSs) owing to their high energy density, long cyclability, and cost-effectiveness. However, the use of flammable electrolytes makes them inherently susceptible to thermal runaway (TR), which can lead to ignition, explosion, and large-scale fires. Accordingly, early detection of defect internal conditions that precede thermal events is essential for ensuring battery safety. This study proposes a time-resolved partial discharge (TRPD)-based diagnostic method for identifying early electrical precursors of fire hazards in lithium-ion batteries. Both destructive (ex situ) and non-destructive (in situ) experiments were performed to collect defect signal data under physical deformation and accelerated degradation conditions. Through fast fourier transform (FFT) analysis of the acquired signals, specific frequency-domain characteristics associated with micro internal short circuits (MISC) were identified, particularly within the 3.9 MHz, 11.9 MHz, and 19 MHz bands. Defect signals were clearly distinguishable from background common-mode voltage (CMV) noise, confirming the diagnostic sensitivity of the proposed approach. The results demonstrate that the TRPD-based technique enables early recognition of latent insulation degradation and internal short-circuit phenomena before thermal runaway occurs. This work bridges the gap between conventional insulation monitoring and battery safety diagnostics, providing a scalable framework for integrating high-frequency signal analysis into EV and ESS battery management systems for fire prevention.Keywords
Funding Information
- Ministry of Education (2025-RISE-14-004)
This publication has 31 references indexed in Scilit:
- Thermal runaway propagation in automotive lithium-ion batteries with NMC-811 and LFP cathodes: Safety requirements and impact on system integrationeTransportation, 2023
- A review of the internal short circuit mechanism in lithium‐ion batteries: Inducement, detection and preventionInternational Journal of Energy Research, 2021
- Experimental investigation on thermal runaway propagation of large format lithium ion battery modules with two cathodesInternational Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2021
- Overcharge-to-thermal-runaway behavior and safety assessment of commercial lithium-ion cells with different cathode materials: A comparison studyJournal of Energy Chemistry, 2021
- Study of Corona Configurations under DC Conditions and Recommendations for an Identification Test PlanInternational Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 2020
- Applications of XPS in the characterization of Battery materialsJournal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena, 2019
- Real-time diagnosis of micro-short circuit for Li-ion batteries utilizing low-pass filtersEnergy, 2019
- Incremental capacity analysis and differential voltage analysis based state of charge and capacity estimation for lithium-ion batteriesEnergy, 2018
- Thermal runaway mechanism of lithium ion battery for electric vehicles: A reviewEnergy Storage Materials, 2018
- Lithium alloys and metal oxides as high-capacity anode materials for lithium-ion batteriesJournal of Alloys and Compounds, 2013