The investigation of lithium-ion battery failures is a major challenge for personnel and equipment due to the associated hazards (thermal reaction, toxic gases and explosions). To perform such experiments safely, a battery abuse-test chamber has been developed and installed at the microtomography beamline ID19 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The chamber provides the capability to robustly perform in situ abuse tests through the heat-resistant and gas-tight design for flexible battery geometries and configurations, including single-cell and multi-cell assemblies. High-speed X-ray imaging can be complemented by supplementary equipment, including additional probes (voltage, pressure and temperature) and thermal imaging. Together with the test chamber, a synchronization graphical user interface was developed, which allows an initial interpretation by time-synchronous visualization of the acquired data. Enabled by this setup, new meaningful insights can be gained into the internal processes of a thermal runaway of current and future energy-storage devices such as lithium-ion cells.

In this manuscript, Current Component A lightning strike tests on three different types of carbon fiber reinforced composite panels are analyzed. The panels feature different levels of lightning strike protection: no protection, medium protection and heavy protection. In particular it was analyzed if there were any direct correlations between the peak electric current of the artificial lighting strike and the recorded velocities at the back surface of the composite panels. The existence of a master curve correlating the peak electric current, the mass of the composite panels and the measured back surface velocity was demonstrated. This finding implies that the back surface velocity correlates linearly to the inertia of the panel and the peak current of the lightning strike.

The carriage of portable electronic devices (PED) powered by lithium-ion batteries in the aircraft cabin today is a fact. Passengers carry several such batteries in mobile phones, tablets, laptops, e-cigarettes, power banks, etc. Even though rare, there is a remaining risk that a Li-ion battery experiences thermal runaway. This typically results in the emission of smoke and gas as well as the emergence of flames and fire, thus posing a threat to safe operation. To meet this challenge, procedures have been defined, and additional mitigation means have emerged on the market. This study presents an anonymized assessment of additional mitigation means. For this, manufacturers provided samples of their product on a voluntary basis to test the potential to contain a Li-ion battery fire. Furthermore, handling was evaluated by a panel of cabin crew members. As a result, a series of recommendations for additional mitigation means and procedures was derived.

Passengers routinely carry numerous Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) powered by lithium-ion batteries, which present hazards when subjected to thermal runaway, including emission of toxic gases, smoke generation and potential fires. The LOKI-PED project investigates the severity of such events in aircraft cabins by experimentally characterizing combustion gases, validating a zonal cabin model and predicting exposure to harmful substances and smoke. PEDs were deliberately forced into thermal runaway in both burn chamber and A320 cabin mockup tests, enabling the quantification of emitted carbon dioxide and toxic compounds such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen fluoride, and hydrogen chloride. These measurements were correlated to CO₂ peak concentrations, enabling a factor-based scaling approach for full-scale cabin simulations. A validated zonal model was then used to predict the temporal and spatial spread of gases and smoke in the cabin, cockpit and galley. Results show that while cabin ventilation generally keeps exposure below harmful levels, the cockpit and galley are significantly more vulnerable. The study highlights the importance of rapid crew response, limitations on PED battery capacities and operational mitigation strategies to ensure flight safety.