Lithium primary batteries short-circuiting

Metallic lithium has first been applied to primary batteries (non-rechargeable batteries), but it has not been applicable to secondary batteries (rechargeable batteries) up to now. During recharging of the lithium secondary battery, lithium metal tends to deposit as dendrites on the lithium surface. This lithium metal dendrites build up until they eventually cause an internal short circuit in the battery. Consequently, this often leads to a lire accident, as the battery continues to heat up. 

The primary focus of two- and three-dimensional models of lithium batteries has been to determine the temperature distribution across a large cell or battery stack [64,95]. The temperature profile across a lithium battery stack is of interest because the rate of cell degradation increases with increasing temperature. As the capacity of the hotter cells in a series-connected stack fades, they will become prone to overcharge and overdischarge, situations which can potentially lead to thermal runaway. Chen and Evans [96] analyze the thermal response of a battery stack to a hot spot created by a short circuit in one ceU. 

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