In gigawatt Li-ion battery plants, cell defects with vanishingly low probability can occur daily. In this talk, we will show automated gas harvesting and analysis hardware solutions for quantification of formation gas—and software solutions for time series formation charge analysis that can enable in situ determination of cell-quality anomalies that could potentially lead to premature failure. These methods leverage existing data streams to improve safety through prevention.

Battery thermal propagation represents one of the most critical safety challenges in modern energy-storage systems, particularly as battery-pack energy densities continue to increase across automotive, stationary storage, and consumer applications. This presentation focuses on analysis and examines current solution trends; compares protection strategies at cell, module, and pack levels; and evaluates chemistry-specific approaches to mitigating thermal-runaway propagation.

Metallized polymer current collectors for the cathode have been demonstrated to consistently (27 of 27 trials) tolerate nail penetration (shallow or deep) in 21700 cell designs that achieve >250 Wh/kg when coupled with isotropic strength polymer separators and a thermally-stable ceramic coating on the anode active material. Only soft shorts develop and thermal runaway is obviated. High-speed radiography, cell OCV and temperature measurements, and post-test CT images of the nail holes reveal insights into the isolating mechanism. These innovative inert cell features can dramatically improve the safety of the vast majority of Li-ion cell chemistries.

Lithium-ion batteries used for portable applications are getting significantly large in terms of energy, and pose fire hazards of concern in the cargo compartments of aircraft. Studies have been carried out that include thermal runaway tests on these batteries ranging from a few tens of Wh to about 350 Wh. Suppressants that include Halon 1301, water, and water additives have been tested to characterize the efficacy of suppression.

Electric vehicle (EV) battery packs pose safety risks during saltwater submersion, as seen in recent hurricane-related incidents leading to thermal runaway. This study examines pack vulnerabilities through teardowns and full-scale immersion tests, identifying failure modes such as seal weaknesses, component degradation, and pathways to thermal runaway. Results show current immersion standards do not ensure safety under prolonged flooding. Early diagnostic signals were also identified, offering potential early warnings before failure. These findings support improved pack design, early-warning systems, updated standards, and emergency response strategies for saltwater-flooded EVs.

Fail-safe design for behind-the-meter battery energy storage systems aims to prevent a single-cell failure from escalating to a module- or rack-level event. This talk presents a bottom-up framework that combines multiscale modeling with targeted experiments to quantify propagation risk and guide design. I will highlight how thermal architecture and battery-management–system controls work together to limit heat- and fault-driven escalation.

Early thermal-runaway detection in scaled electric-vehicle battery systems remains challenging due to sparse sensing and signal averaging across parallel-connected cells. This study experimentally evaluates advanced gas sensors and high-voltage electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in commercial Tesla modules housed in a pack-representative enclosure. Controlled single-cell overheating was used to assess diagnostic response at module scale, addressing the gap between cell-level validation and full-pack implementation.

This presentation will address the safety behavior and underlying mechanisms of SSBs, with direct comparison to liquid-state batteries (LSBs). Testing results show that, during internal shorts in high-energy systems, the severity of fire and explosion follows the order: SSB > LSB. The data indicate a counterintuitive trend—the greater the liquid content in the battery, the safer its behavior under abuse conditions.

Stresses resulting from electrode material chemomechanics are strongly coupled to solid electrolyte-electrode interface failures. Such failures are significant barriers to realization of practical Li-metal solid-state batteries (SSBs). We show the importance of cathode chemomechanics at commercially relevant low stack pressures (e.g., <1 MPa). Utilizing these learnings, we build long cycle-life SSBs with practical areal capacity (5 mAh/cm2) operating at less than 1 MPa stack pressure at room temperature.

Natrion is the manufacturer of Active Separator, a thin, flexible solid-state electrolyte separator for lithium secondary batteries. Natrion will present its latest validation of the performance and safety of semi-solid lithium-metal batteries pairing Active Separator with 5-20 micrometer-thick lithium-metal anodes. This will include cyclability of high-capacity pouch cells at ambient temperatures and pressures (zero clamping) demonstrating 1000+ Wh/L, 400+ Wh/kg energy densities, as well as independent abuse testing results.

This presentation will examine cycling-induced electrode deformation and the associated potential safety implications.

Electrolyte flammability is a critical safety and deployment barrier for next-generation batteries. This presentation introduces standardized flash point measurements applied to both aqueous-organic and gel-polymer electrolytes, providing quantitative insight into ignition risks across liquid and quasi-solid systems. By linking flammability to solvent composition, solvation structure, and polymer-solvent interactions through spectroscopic and data-driven analysis, we highlight key design rules to mitigate volatility and combustion risk. These results offer actionable guidance for industrial development of safer, high-performance electrolyte formulations.

This talk presents the charge-discharge cycling performance of laminated zinc rechargeable batteries using SoE (segmentation of electrolyte) technology for electric vehicles (EVs) and stationary energy-storage applications. This technology suppresses zinc dendrite formation during charging, enabling high durability with stable voltages and high voltage efficiency.

This talk examines safety considerations in solid-state batteries using a bottom-up approach. By analyzing material behavior and interface interactions, we identify potential failure mechanisms and highlight emerging insights that challenge assumptions about the inherent safety of solid-state systems.

Energy-storage systems are continuing to be deployed at a rapid pace. There have also been recent developments in codes and standards requirements. This presentation discusses the market growth, updates about codes and standards, and potential impacts on projects.