Hanyang University Develops Technology for Early Detection of Lithium Battery Explosions

Successful Detection of Warning Signs 23 Minutes Before Explosion

Hanyang University announced on November 26 that a research team led by Professor So Hongyun from the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed a technology capable of detecting early warning signs of lithium-ion battery fires in approximately 23 minutes. This achievement was selected as one of the "Top 10 Mechanical Engineering Technologies of the Year in Korea 2025."

Hongyun So, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University

With a series of recent battery fire incidents, the safety of electric vehicles has become a significant social issue. Lithium-ion batteries, despite their high energy density, are vulnerable to mechanical, electrical, and thermal stress, meaning even minor abnormal reactions can lead to large-scale fires. This has highlighted the need for advanced early detection technologies.

The research team focused on the "swelling" phenomenon, which is the core of the problem. Swelling is the earliest sign that appears inside the battery just before thermal runaway. However, existing technologies have faced commercialization limitations due to the difficulty of precisely measuring swelling in large-capacity battery modules.

To overcome this, the team developed a high-performance swelling sensor using a highly compressible sponge structure and directly applied it to battery modules for electric vehicles. As a result, they succeeded in detecting warning signs about 23 minutes before an explosion, achieving early detection performance approximately 21 times faster than conventional temperature sensors.

Professor So stated, "This technology will contribute to improving the safety of various battery-based systems, including electric vehicles, ESS, drones, and aircraft," adding, "Ultimately, our goal is to establish a 'zero fire' platform that fundamentally prevents battery fires."

This research was supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the National Research Foundation of Korea, and Hyundai Motor Company, and was developed through joint research with Hyundai Motor Company's Virtual Innovation Research Lab, Battery Performance Testing Team, and Battery Design Team.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.