PhD in Mechanical Engineering: 3D modeling of the ejection and combustion of vented gases during the thermal runaway of Lithium-ion battery cells

26 Jan 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN)

Research Field

Engineering » Mechanical engineering

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

France

Application Deadline

14 Jul 2024 – 23:59 (Europe/Paris)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

35

Offer Starting Date

4 Nov 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

The rapid growth in the use of electric vehicles has led to a strong demand for batteries. Lithium-Ion batteries are currently the dominant technology, as they offer good performance, in particular high energy density. Nevertheless, these batteries can be subject to thermal runaway, potentially leading to the destruction of the
vehicle. It is therefore important to develop adequate numerical tools to predict and prevent this type of accident. Many existing numerical models allow to simulate internal chemical reactions in a battery cell undergoing thermal runaway and the thermal conduction within the surrounding cells. However, gases are ejected during the runaway process and can even ignite. The impact of these hot gases and their combustion on the cell temperature and therefore on the propagation of the thermal runaway within a battery pack is currently poorly understood and modeled. The use of multi-dimensional calculations (2D and more particularly 3D) is necessary to correctly predict these effects. The challenge is then to: (i) predict the gas composition and velocity at the cell exit; (ii) predict the gas combustion in the external environment of the battery. The objective of this thesis is to develop a coupled 3D model, which considers the thermal runaway inside the cell, the thermal conduction, the dynamics and the combustion of the gases generated by the reactions inside the cell, and the convective heat transfer induced by these gases on the cell. The results will be compared with experimental measurements currently carried out at IFPEN. The thesis will proceed according to the following milestones: (i) Implementation in the CFD solver of the thermal runaway model of the battery using IFPEN know-how; (ii) Implementation of a model predicting the venting of gases from the cell; (iii) Coupled simulation with combustion of an isolated cell and confrontation with the experiment; (iv) Simulation of thermal runaway propagation in an industrial battery pack.

Keywords: Li-ion batteries, combustion, thermal runaway, 3D simulations, heat transfer, gas venting

Academic supervisor: Pr. Ronan VICQUELIN, CentraleSupelec, ORCID 0000-0002-2055-5244

Doctoral School: ED579 SMEMAG

IFPEN supervisor: Dr. Cédric MEHL, ORCID 0000-0003-2293-9281

Requirements

Research Field

Engineering » Mechanical engineering

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Master’s degree in Computational Fluid Dynamics

Specific Requirements

Knowledges: Numerical modelling, Fluid mechanics

Programming languages: C++, Python

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Additional Information
Benefits

IFP Energies nouvelles is a French public-sector research, innovation and training center. Its mission is to develop efficient, economical, clean and sustainable technologies in the fields of energy, transport and the environment. For more information, see our WEB site .

IFPEN offers a stimulating research environment, with access to first in class laboratory infrastructures and computing facilities. IFPEN offers competitive salary and benefits packages. All PhD students have access to dedicated seminars and training sessions.

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

IFP Energies nouvelles

Country

France

City

Rueil-Malmaison

Postal Code

92852

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

City

Rueil-Malmaison

Website

http://www.ifpenergiesnouvelles.com/

Street

4 avenue de Bois-Préau

Postal Code

92852

STATUS: EXPIRED