A framework for temperature-dependent mechanical modeling of lithium-ion cells

Mechanical abuse of lithium-ion batteries can induce internal short circuits and thermal runaway, yet most mechanical integrity models neglect the influence of cell operating temperature and assume room-temperature behavior. In this work, hemispherical indentation experiments were conducted at multiple operating temperatures (0 °C, 25 °C, and 45 °C) to quantify temperature- and rate-dependent mechanical response. The results show that the peak force prior to short-circuit initiation varies by up to ∼33% across the investigated operating temperature range. Building on these observations, a coupled electrochemical–thermal–mechanical framework is developed in which state-of-charge- and rate-dependent thermal profiles obtained from electrochemical simulations are mapped into temperature-dependent mechanical integrity models. The framework captures spatial temperature non-uniformity within the cell and enables higher-fidelity prediction of short-circuit onset under realistic operating conditions. Although demonstrated at the single-cell level, the homogenized modeling approach is directly extensible to module- and pack-level simulations, providing a practical pathway toward improved crashworthiness assessment and safety-oriented design of lithium-ion battery systems in electric vehicles. • Effects of operating temperatures on mechanical strength of pouch cells • A framework to model real world thermal effects in mechanical abuse • Interactive effects of battery electrochemistry on thermal and mechanical response • Neglecting effects of temperature introduces up to 24–33% error in failure prediction