Fire protection for lithium-ion battery storage systems

The challenges

... in fire protection for battery storage systems / energy storage systems are manifold and include various aspects.

• Maintenance and inspection: many storage systems are decentralised or housed in containers, which makes regular inspections difficult.
• Space restrictions: energy storage systems consist of tightly packed battery modules, which means that a fire can spread quickly.
• Early fire detection: conventional smoke detectors are often unsuitable as battery fires are initially caused by chemical reactions before visible smoke or flames appear.
• Thermal runaway: in lithium-ion batteries, a single cell failure can trigger a chain reaction in which several cells ignite spontaneously.
• Overload: uncontrolled battery condition due to failure of the battery management system
• Gas & toxicity risk: toxic gases such as hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide, and phosphorus compounds are produced when battery storage systems overheat or burn.
• Limited extinguishing water supply: many energy storage systems are located in areas that are difficult to access and lack adequate water supply infrastructure.

Given these risks and infrastructural limitations, a customised fire protection solution specifically designed for the decentralised use of battery storage systems is required.