Structural integrity assessment of the lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are prevalent in transportation applications and can fail due to internal short circuits often caused by mechanical loads. This research investigates battery deformations and short circuit initiations under external loads through in-situ experiments and simulations. The separator is identified as the most critical component, with its fracture behaviour directly related to short circuit initiations. Quasi-static experiments on batteries reveal that short circuits initiate in the separator's fracture areas, with electrode coating particles attached. 18650 cylindrical batteries exhibit rate-dependent effects and fail at smaller displacements under impact loads. These findings contribute to improving battery safety.