Case Study: Next Energy improves lithium-ion battery safety analysis with COMSOL Multiphysics

Next Energy models battery heat propagation in 4 seconds with Comsol

Next Energy, a research center focused on energy technology, needed to understand how brief, high-temperature manufacturing processes like welding could damage lithium-ion battery cells. Their challenge was to determine if heat could propagate into a cell's interior and cause electrochemical degradation, as physical experiments were costly and limited. They used simulation software from the vendor, COMSOL, specifically COMSOL Multiphysics, to investigate this thermal propagation.

The solution involved creating and validating a detailed 3D thermal model of a prismatic battery cell in COMSOL. This enabled the simulation of various manufacturing heat stresses, revealing that a 4-second weld at 1100°C could cause damaging temperatures above 100°C deep inside the cell. Conversely, they confirmed that a faster 0.2-second laser weld limited internal temperature rise to safe levels. Using COMSOL, the team gained a trustworthy and flexible simulation tool that provides a foundation for future battery design research, saving significant time and enabling confident investigation into preventing manufacturing-related damage.

Next Energy