Advanced Software Tools for Lithium Ion Battery Risk Assessment (LIBRA)

Impact Technologies, in collaboration with the Georgia Tech Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies, proposes to develop tools for Lithium Ion Battery Risk Assessment (LIBRA). These tools will allow the Navy to analyze proposed Li-Ion battery designs and assess the overall risk to the platform in the event of failure in a single cell. The tool will also predict the effects of a casualty if one does occur. The proposed approach features physics-based multi-domain models, probabilistic fault propagation models, and an open interface to allow evaluation of any design that adheres to the specification. During Phase I, a prototype tool will be developed and demonstrated. Phase II will mature the underlying models and produce a full software application for naval use. Laboratory destructive testing will also be performed, with the aim of quantifying the likelihood of developing internal shorts and other failures. Assessments of battery weight, volume, energy content, and cost will also be performed, and the tool will indicate the overall cost-risk-benefit ratio of the battery module under consideration. In Phase III, we will work to transition the technology into military and commercial applications.