Study on the effect of active heating duration on thermal runaway in aviation power lithium-ion batteries

Thermal safety of ternary power lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is critical for the safe operation of new energy aircraft. Active heating-triggered thermal runaway (TR) is one method used for airworthiness validation of LIBs' thermal safety, where heating duration is a significant influencing factor. In this study, the TR of the LIB was triggered by heating, with the heater deactivated at two specific moments: when battery case expansion occurred and when the voltage dropped to zero. Results showed that in TR experiments on LIBs at 100%, 50%, and 0% state of charge (SOC), heating duration had the most significant impact on 50% SOC batteries. Under short-term heating, the batteries only reached the initial swelling stage of TR without triggering self-heating chain reactions, and maintained a stable operating voltage. For 50% SOC batteries, two different heating durations resulted in maximum temperatures of 73.1 °C and 280 °C, and wreckage deformation levels of 70% and 450% relative to the baseline. In airworthiness verification, aircraft systems should select appropriate heating durations based on specific requirements to obtain relevant TR results. This study provides a theoretical basis for developing airworthiness standards for aviation LIBs.