BeetleShield: A Biomimetic Dual-Function Battery Shell to Mitigate Impact and Thermal Runaway in Lithium-Ion Batteries
Aiden Cho, Ikon Kim
Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, United States
Publication date: November 20, 2025
Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, United States
Publication date: November 20, 2025
DOI: http://doi.org/10.34614/JIYRC2025II14
ABSTRACT
Lithium-ion battery safety is a growing concern with the increasing use of electric vehicles (EVs). This study introduces BeetleShield, a dual-function biomimetic battery casing inspired by the diabolical ironclad beetle and fire beetle. Designed to improve both mechanical impact resistance and thermal management, the casing was prototyped using 3D printing with flexible PLA. Iterative designs incorporated interlocking sutures and gradient layering for shock absorption. Flexural tests showed that the final version (Ver. 5) significantly improved mechanical flexibility over earlier versions (p < 0.001). Inspired by fire beetles, a design integrating thermally sensitive microcapsules for fire suppression was proposed. Though not experimentally tested, the concept suggests early heat detection and thermal runaway mitigation. This study demonstrates improved mechanical resilience in a diabolical-ironclad-beetle-inspired casing and outlines a fire-beetle-inspired future path for thermal-safety integration.
Lithium-ion battery safety is a growing concern with the increasing use of electric vehicles (EVs). This study introduces BeetleShield, a dual-function biomimetic battery casing inspired by the diabolical ironclad beetle and fire beetle. Designed to improve both mechanical impact resistance and thermal management, the casing was prototyped using 3D printing with flexible PLA. Iterative designs incorporated interlocking sutures and gradient layering for shock absorption. Flexural tests showed that the final version (Ver. 5) significantly improved mechanical flexibility over earlier versions (p < 0.001). Inspired by fire beetles, a design integrating thermally sensitive microcapsules for fire suppression was proposed. Though not experimentally tested, the concept suggests early heat detection and thermal runaway mitigation. This study demonstrates improved mechanical resilience in a diabolical-ironclad-beetle-inspired casing and outlines a fire-beetle-inspired future path for thermal-safety integration.
