Understanding and modeling the internal short circuit in Li-ion batteries

The electrochemical storage of electrical energy has become a global issue and a major challenge. Li-ion batteries are considered as the preferred solution to store energy on board of new generation electric and hybrid vehicles or manage renewable energy in stationary applications. Safe batteries systems still represent today the weakest link in the development of many energy or power demanding applications. This thesis aims to understand and model the phenomenon of thermal runaway lithium-ion batteries initiated by an internal short-circuit, taking into account the influence of technology and aging. It is based on previous IFPEN works that have developed a methodology to model the thermal runaway of fresh and aged Li-ion batteries at cell level. This thesis will extend the IFPEN models by integrating the reaction mechanism related to the internal short-circuit relying on an adapted experimental methodology, which should be able to trigger internal short-circuit in a controllable and repeatable manner. This thesis project offers an original approach combining experimental and modeling studies, where the experimental part will serve the phenomenological understanding and the extension of the model. In addition, abuse tests will be conducted to ensure the calibration and validation of the developed model. The direction of the thesis will be supervised by the LRCS, a French major laboratory in the field of electrochemical energy storage. 

Keywords: Lithium-ion battery, thermal runaway, internal short-circuit, multiphysics and multiscale modelling.

Academic supervisor    Dr. MORCRETTE Mathieu, Reactivity and Solids Chemistry Laboratory (UMR7314), 0000-0003-2215-4847, mathieu.morcrette@u-picardie.fr 
Doctoral School    Ecole Doctorale Sciences Technologie & Santé (ED STS 585), Amiens, France
IFPEN supervisor    Dr. ABADA Sara, battery modeling engineer, Electrochemistry and Material Department, sara.abada@ifpen.fr 
PhD location    IFP Energies nouvelles, Lyon, France AND LRCS, Amiens, France
Duration and start date    3 years, starting not earlier than December,2021
Employer    IFP Energies nouvelles, Lyon, France
Academic requirements    University Master degree or Engineering degree in Chemical / Physical Sciences/ Materials Engineering/  Electrochemistry
Language requirements    Fluency in French or English, willingness to learn French
Other requirements    Modelling skills (COMSOL), computer coding, battery basically knowledge