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The increased prevalence of larger and more energy-dense battery packs for transportation and grid storage applications has resulted in an increasing number of severe battery thermal events. The implications on product reliability, consumer safety, and the surrounding environment are significant. While there are many potential root causes for battery thermal runaway, these events often start within a single battery cell or group of cells that cascade to neighboring cells and other combustible materials, rapidly increasing the hazard profile of the battery pack as more stored energy is released. Reducing these hazards requires preventing severe thermal runaway scenarios by mitigating cell-to-cell propagation through the improved design of both individual cells and battery packs.

The emergence of Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) as a viable means of transportation has been coincident with the development of lithium-ion battery technology and electronics that have enabled the storage and use of large amounts of energy that were previously only possible with internal combustion engines. However, the safety aspects of using these large energy storage battery packs are a significant challenge to address. For example an unintentional sudden release of energy, such as through a thermal runaway event, is a common concern. Developing thermal management systems for upset conditions in battery packs requires a clear understanding of the heat generation mechanisms and kinetics associated with the failures of Li-ion batteries.