National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will lead a team to assess the risks of next-generation cells from fundamental reaction kinetics to the full battery level. NREL will apply cutting-edge experimental and modeling techniques to build a comprehensive description of the failure mechanisms and risks of cells. NREL’s approach will leverage the capabilities of their partners to understand the thermal and chemical response of cells spatially and temporally to controlled abuse conditions. Data and parameters representing the risks of next generation cells will be carefully assessed and made open-access to facilitate benchmarking of cell behaviors against NREL’s Battery Failure Databank, the largest open-source database on the thermal behavior of commercial Li-ion cells. A suite of new open access resources, including modelling frameworks and experimental data, will be made available during this project by expanding NREL’s existing online presence. The project will establish an understanding of failure mechanisms, reaction pathways, failure modes and effects, leading to revised testing standards, and new capabilities and tools to help de-risk adoption of next-generation cells for commercial applications.