Theory 35/Efficiency vs Resilience/Batteries
Dense Cells Are Volatile
The claim
Battery energy density trades against thermal safety, because the chemistries with the highest energy per unit mass also release the most heat when they fail.
01Mechanism
Energy density comes from high-voltage, high-capacity couples, which are also more reactive with the electrolyte.
02Prediction
Safety incidents should track energy density.
03Refutation
Safety independent of density would remove the trade-off.