Modeling and Simulation of Thermal Faults in Batteries for Enhanced Safety

Batteries are a central component of many complex systems, including mobile devices, sensors, electric vehicles, etc. Keeping the battery working in normal conditions avoids dangerous hazards for the user or the system itself and helps extend the device’s life. The battery temperature is one of the most delicate aspects of these devices since some dangerous scenarios, like thermal runaway, could occur due to variable conditions. This paper uses a battery model of an electric vehicle from the automotive area as a case study to simulate the thermal response to normal usage. Then, thermal fault scenarios are modeled within equivalent circuital device descriptions and analyzed regarding state-of-charge, temperature, and voltage output. The findings presented offer a valuable starting point for improving the design phase of the batteries in multiple fields by testing fault scenarios already during simulation.