Protection for BESS Fires & Thermal Runaway
Thermal runaway of a lithium battery cell results in an uncontrollable rise in temperature and propagation of extreme fire hazards within a battery energy storage system (BESS). It was once thought to be impossible to suppress a cascading thermal runaway event, until now with Fike Blue™.
How Do Lithium Ion Batteries Catch Fire & Explode?
In April 2019, seven Arizona firefighters were hurt and one was killed from an explosion occurring within a BESS shipping container. The source of this hazardous situation was caused by an unpredictable and extremely dangerous phenomenon called “thermal runaway,” where just one malfunctioning battery can create a chain reaction into adjacent batteries and produce flammable gases and fire in the enclosed space. Here’s how cascading thermal runaway occurs:
Battery Malfunctions
The battery’s internal temperature quickly exceeds its normal operating range and begins to self-heat.
Offgas Releases
Explosive gases such as hydrogen are released as a byproduct of thermal runaway.
Hazard Spreads
Nearby batteries begin to malfunction as well from the intense heat, creating a chain reaction.
BESS Consumed
No solution has been proven to stop this thermal event, until the discovery of Fike Blue.
“Fike Blue cooled our internal module temperatures from several hundred degrees celsius to under one hundred degrees and prevented cascading thermal runaway in most of our battery cells—a true engineering breakthrough.”
Director of Mechanical Engineering at a Major ESS Manufacturer
Pre-UL 9540A Testing, System Design & Consultancy
Do you need guidance to help pass a UL 9540A test and prevent wasted time and money? Do you have questions about how to most effectively protect an ESS from thermal runaway?
Fike is the only safety solutions provider in the world who can perform a Battery Hazard Analysis (BHA) and design a protection system with Fike Blue to help ensure you’ll pass the UL 9540A test.
Fike’s Strategy of Protecting an ESS from Lithium Battery Fires
Explosion Control & Explosion Venting
The threat of thermal runaway in a BESS is often thought of as a fire hazard, but just as important is its explosion risk. That’s why NFPA 855 (A.9.6.5.6) references “explosion control” as an essential element to the overall safety of an ESS.
Due to the “cascading” element of thermal runaway, the more battery cells that are affected, the more explosive gasses that are generated. Learn how Fike’s decades of experience in explosion protection combined with Fike Blue ensures a reliable solution for both BESS fire and explosion hazards.
