Internal Short Circuit Device for Li-ion Batteries (Text Version)

This is the text version of the Internal Short Circuit Device for Li-ion Batteries video.

Onscreen text:
Internal Short Circuit Device for Li-ion Batteries
Li-ion battery assembly begins.

Animation of four cylindrical shapes stacked vertically but not touching while four flat, thin strips move toward the cylinders. The thin, flat shapes are labeled anode (blue), separator (grey), cathode (green), and separator (grey).

Onscreen text:
A hole is inserted in the separator between the anode and the cathode, and the ISC device is introduced and fixed in place with a liquid adhesive.

Animation of flat, thin strips approaching the cylinders and going through the spaces between them, emerging on the other side and rolling over two adjacent cylindrical shapes then wrapping around a third, smaller cylindrical shape, which is then encased in an outer shell.

Onscreen text:
The battery is wound and canned.

Animation of cutaway view of the wound and canned battery, revealing the inside layers of wound thin strips. As the strips emerge from the battery, a hole appears in one of the grey strips as a round grey disc rises from it and moves closer, revealing a smaller brown disc above the grey disc. The brown disc rises to expose additional layers labeled copper disc, copper puck, separator, wax layer, and aluminum disc. Then the action reverses and the battery can closes in on itself.

Animation switches from showing one battery cylinder to multiple battery cylinders lined up in two rows of six. A brown plate with 12 holes moves from above to the top section of the battery cylinders while black caps move up from below and attach to the bottom of each cylinder. A box top and bottom emerge from above and below, encasing all the components.

Onscreen text:
The cell with the implanted ISC device is placed in a module.

In two videos that appear to the right of the module, a piece of equipment connects to wires. The two videos are similar except one is black and white and the other is colorful.

Onscreen text:
The ISC device is activated in the cell by applying heat to melt the wax layer and create a current path between positive and negative.

A dynamic number next to the videos ranges from 50 to 215. 

Onscreen text:
Heat from the ISC cell propagates to adjacent cells, and the internal short circuit is complete.

As the numbers increase, the equipment in the black and white video emits steam then flames while the equipment in the other video changes colors and emanates flames.

Learn more about NREL's energy storage thermal safety research.