Research Topic
Operational safety assessment of Li-ion batteries
The increasing emphasis on decarbonization of the energy sector has led to tremendous increase in deployment of Li-ion batteries in varied applications. The applications range from a few watts in mobile phones to as large as few hundreds of MW of energy storage systems. The constant emphasis on increase in energy density of batteries has led to increase in safety concerns. In the last decade the cases of battery fire incidences have shot up exponentially. The battery thermal runaway leads to fire, toxic, and flammable gases release (including hydrogen and hydrocarbons) and explosion. My work focuses on the study of thermal runaway mechanism of li-ion batteries and to use probabilistic risk assessment model for accident analysis. Further the emphasis is also on studying the effects of newer battery chemistries on emergency ventilation rate of battery room, toxic gas release and explosion using CFD model. My goal is to develop a standardized model to assess risk associated to battery thermal runaway and suggest the right combination of safety measure to minimize the risk.
