Trends in 18650 Lithium-Ion Battery Cell Safety for Spacecraft Applications

Abstract: Highly popular due to their high energy density lithium-ion battery cells have increased in energy density approximately 2.5 times since their commercial debut in 1991. As a result, the hazard severity of a sudden inadvertent release of stored energy has greatly increased. The high energy density of lithium-ion battery cells coupled with the flammable toxic electrolytes they contain and unique failure modes can lead to a potentially catastrophic thermal runaway. This can result in spewing fla…