A Study on the Thermal Deformation of Current Collectors by Burning Heat Pellets in Thermal Batteries

Ji, Hyun-Jin; Kim, Jong-Myong; Kim, Young-Chul; Cho, Sung-Baek

doi:2012.15.4.527

J. KIMS Technol > Volume 15(4); 2012 > Article

Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology 2012;15(4):527-534.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.9766/KIMST.2012.15.4.527

A Study on the Thermal Deformation of Current Collectors by Burning Heat Pellets in Thermal Batteries

Hyun-Jin Ji, Jong-Myong Kim, Young-Chul Kim, Sung-Baek Cho

열전지의 열원 연소에 따른 전류집전체 열변형에 관한 연구

지현진, 김종명, 김영철, 조성백

국방과학연구소 4기술연구본부 1부

Abstract

Thermal batteries are primary batteries that use molten salts as an electrolyte and employ an internal pyrotechnic source to heat the battery stack to operating temperatures, typically between 450 and $550^{circ}C$. The unit cell of thermal batteries consists of an anode, an electrolyte, a cathode, a heat pellet and a current collector. The heat source for such batteries is typically heat pellets based on $Fe/KClO_4$. The elevated temperature by combustion of heat pellet is supposed to cause a flatness non-uniformity, buckling, with a lateral extension diameter of current collector. This paper mainly focused on the combustion and buckling model of current collector to simulate the effect of heat source. Mechanical stresses in the current collector caused by thermal stress is a critical design consideration of thermal batteries because the internal short circuit could be occurred.

Key Words: Thermal Battery, Heat Pellet, Thermal Deformation