Fire resistance of lithium batteries and composite structures for aerospace applications

In the aerospace and ground transport industries, electrification of propulsion and reduction of vehicle weight through increased use of polymer matrix composites (PMCs) are the spearheads of the effort to decrease emissions. In both cases, fire resistance issues need to be addressed to ensure that the safety of the occupants is not compromised by this technological shift. Through our partnership, we will develop advanced numerical simulation tools increasing the fundamental understanding of this critical problem, backed up by experimental validation using realistic flames.

This collaborative research project is supported by five industrial partners with active research and development programs in the aerospace, fire safety and transport electrification sectors. The problems of fire resistance for batteries and PMCs used as firewalls share many similarities. In both cases, fire-driven failure is often controlled by feedback loops between the heat-driven outgassing of the solid material (be it the PMCs or a battery) and the gas-phase reaction of the combustible species exiting the surface exposed to fire. Composite structures and electrical power supplies in transportation systems must therefore be constructed to prevent this coupling between the gas-phase reactions supplying heat and the solid substrate supplying combustible species, so that fire does not spread to the point of component failure. Novel simulation tools and approaches are needed as current practice can lead to unsuccessful certification testing, leading to long and more expensive development cycles. For the problem tackled in our project, this means better characterizing the properties and risks associated with battery fires while simultaneously improving numerical simulation to provide predictive capabilities for ignition and interactions between flames and combustible walls.

Funding category: Financement public/privé

PHD title: PhD in Mechanical Engineering

PHD Country: Canada