Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) safety under short-circuit conditions remains a critical challenge. This study investigates the effectiveness of Adaptive Resistance Components (ARCs), specifically Thermal Shutdown (TS) separator, Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) layer, and Voltage-Switchable Resistive (VSR) layer in enhancing short-circuit protection at the cell level. An electrochemical-thermal model was developed to simulate ARCs behavior and validated using experimental data for 2032-type coin cells. The validated model was then applied to 18,650-format cells to compare the thermal and electrical responses of unprotected and ARC-protected batteries. The results obtained confirm that all three ARCs enhance safety, each with distinct mechanisms and trade-offs. TS separator blocks ion flow at high temperatures, allowing the cell to reach 140 °C peak temperature. PTC layer regulates reversibly electronic conductivity based on temperature, and the cells reaches peak temperature of 110 °C, required for the layer activation. VSR layer introduces voltage-responsive change of LIB resistivity, which resulted in limiting the cell temperature at 90 °C level. The trade-off of using PTC and VSR components is increase of the internal resistance of the cell. The model enabled direct comparison of ARCs performance under normal and short-circuit conditions, establishing a valuable framework for selecting appropriate protection based on application-specific safety and performance requirements.
Original languageEnglish
Article number121583
JournalJournal of Energy Storage
Volume159
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2026

    Research areas

  • Electrochemical modeling, Lithium-ion batteries, Newman model analysis, Short-circuit safety, Thermal runaway mitigation, Variable resistance layers

ID: 152080517