A New Method to Accurately Measure Lithium-Ion Battery Specific Heat Capacity with ARC Heating-Waiting Process

Abstract

Battery specific heat capacity is essential for calculation and simulation in battery thermal runaway and thermal management studies. Currently, there exist several non-destructive techniques for measuring the specific heat capacity of a battery. Approaches incorporate thermal modeling, specific heat capacity computation via an external heat source, and harnessing internal battery-generated heat. Accurately measuring the specific heat capacity of a battery by fast, intuitive, and general experimental methods has significant application value. This paper proposes a simple but precise method (the heating-waiting method) for measuring the specific heat capacity of the battery based on a constant temperature environment. A calibration scheme was designed to obtain the specific heat capacity calculation parameters. Specific experiments were designed to maximize the external heat received by the battery. Homogeneous temperature distribution within the battery facilitates the precise determination of the battery’s specific heat capacity. Results demonstrate that utilizing accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC) as a reliable heating source can greatly enhance the precision of the test (from 2.30% to 0.29%). Optimizing the experimental apparatus is advantageous in mitigating the confounding effects of extraneous variables on the experimental outcomes, thereby enhancing the reliability and operability. Hence, it is vital to devise a trial plan based on the battery’s attributes to guarantee the scheme’s universality and practicability.