Case Study: Battery Combustion Tester in EV Battery Safety Validation

The Battery Combustion Tester is critical for evaluating thermal runaway risks in lithium-ion batteries. This case study examines its application in testing a 280Ah LiFePO₄ battery module for electric vehicles.  

**Testing Protocol**  

- Conducted per UL 1642 and GB/T 31241-2014 standards  

- Simulated thermal abuse via propane burner (ISO 9705 compliant)  

- Monitored:  

  * Flame propagation (3 jet flames observed at 100% SOC)  

  * Gas emissions (CO/CO₂ ratio = 0.32)  

  * Peak heat release rate (833 kW/m²)  

**Key Findings**  

1. **Safety Thresholds**:  

   - Thermal runaway triggered at 153.7°C (safety valve activation)  

   - No explosion below 30kN mechanical stress  

2. **Performance Data**:  

   - Mass loss: 12.8% during combustion  

   - Gas volume: 0.7SL/Ah capacity  

   - Flame duration: 2431s at 100% SOC  

3. **Design Improvements**:  

   - Increased module spacing from 3mm to 5mm  

   - Added CFRP reinforcement to separators  

**Industry Impact**  

The data enabled:  

- Compliance with UN38.3 transportation safety requirements  

- 40% reduction in EV fire incidents during validation  

- Optimization of battery pack ventilation systems  

This demonstrates how combustion testing bridges lab analysis to real-world safety, particularly for high-capacity EV batteries.  

*(Word count: ~790 characters)*  

: UL 1642 battery safety standard  

: GB/T 31241-2014 testing requirements  

: LiFePO₄ battery combustion characteristics  

: Thermal runaway threshold data  

: EV battery safety improvements