Battery cells can fail in several ways resulting from abusive operation, physical damage, or cell design, material, or manufacturing defects to name a few. Li-ion batteries deteriorate over time from charge/discharge cycling, resulting in a drop in the cell’s ability to hold a charge.
Following a period of discharging, some cells become damaged, thereby terminating the module's discharge. The same discharge current can cause premature thermal failure in cells with higher internal resistance, which in turn contributes to the cessation of the battery module's discharge.
Notably, cells with SOC values of 50 % and 80 % exhibit a significant drop in capacity at a 30-second duration, culminating in total failure at 40 s, suggesting a substantial capacity decline occurs in short-circuited batteries nearing separator damage temperature. Fig. 11.
These articles explain the background of Lithium-ion battery systems, key issues concerning the types of failure, and some guidance on how to identify the cause(s) of the failures. Failure can occur for a number of external reasons including physical damage and exposure to external heat, which can lead to thermal runaway.
DC Ripple Current Excessive DC ripple current might contribute to battery aging. VRLA batteries are extremely susceptible to ripple current since it can lead to cell heating and will accelerate the degradation of cells which are at risk from thermal runaway.
a rated capacity of 1,000 mAh discharged at 1C can supply 1 Amp for 1 hr, can shorten the life of the battery and may result in other failure mechanisms. Physical damage from an impact or drop can result in internal damage to the cell. Electrolyte vapor production and leak out of the jellyroll may lead to swelling.