TY - JOUR

T1 - A numerical investigation into adaptive resistance components for protecting lithium-ion batteries from short circuits

AU - Fedorova, Anna A.

AU - Anishchenko, Dmitrii V.

AU - Katrašnik, Tomaž

AU - Levin, Oleg V.

PY - 2026/5/1

Y1 - 2026/5/1

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Electrochemical modeling

KW - Lithium-ion batteries

KW - Newman model analysis

KW - Short-circuit safety

KW - Thermal runaway mitigation

KW - Variable resistance layers

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/9a81226f-ed8d-39c0-b7a0-0f88b091292b/

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105034734881

U2 - 10.1016/j.est.2026.121583

DO - 10.1016/j.est.2026.121583

M3 - Article

VL - 159

JO - Journal of Energy Storage

JF - Journal of Energy Storage

SN - 2352-152X

M1 - 121583

ER -