Effect of Bad Connection on Surface Temperature of Lithium-Ion Batteries by Using Infrared Thermography

The temperature distribution of lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicle is very important for the electric vehicle performance. Heat is produced during lithium-ion batteries operation while being charged and discharged. The battery can in worst case go into thermal runaway if the heat cannot be dissipated rapidly. This experimental investigation analysis the thermal behaviour of a 13Ah pouch type lithium-ion battery through characterisation and determination of the evolution of surface temperature distribution and profiles when there is a bad connection in the positive tab. Infrared thermography and contact thermocouples were employed for a commercial cell thermal analysis. Different types of load profiles were applied to the battery cell. The loads consisted of constant current charge and discharge cycles with currents magnitude of 13A, 26A, 39A and 52A.It was concluded that bad connection increased the non-uniformity of surface temperature and risk of thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries.