What are the fire extinguishing and lithium battery fire protection precautions for lithium batteries?

Lithium batteries and lithium-ion batteries are great technologies that will bring tremendous changes and contributions to the storage and supply of electrical energy worldwide. Despite this, the risk of fire (explosion) cannot be ignored. Therefore, we should take the necessary fire prevention and fire fighting measures to reduce this risk and improve safety.

Lithium batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, have the advantage of being cost-effective, lightweight, and environmentally friendly, but because of the large amounts of energy they store, the risk of fire and explosion is high. Whether it is a large battery in the energy storage industry, a battery in the field of electric new energy, or a battery that is smaller for electronic devices, there is a certain risk.

At any time, the energy stored in the first space has a tendency to release, sometimes it is intense. Therefore, reasonable fire-fighting measures should be considered throughout the life of the battery. This multi-industry brings new challenges, including battery manufacturing, transportation logistics, a warehouse management and battery applications. For colleagues involved in the wind control and fire protection industry, how to quantify this risk and how to effectively protect against danger has become a new challenge.

Lithium battery Vs lithium ion battery

These two batteries are called similarly, but they are actually different. Lithium batteries are not rechargeable. They contain lithium metal, which is highly flammable. The application fields of lithium batteries are usually in the military field, the medical field and some electronic and electrical equipment.

Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable. It is lighter than a lithium battery and provides high energy storage density. Lithium-ion batteries are lithium-free, but contain lithium ions and highly flammable electrolytes (liquids). The applications are such as laptops, cell phones, electric new energy vehicles, medical equipment and energy storage systems.

With the rapid growth of lithium (ion) battery applications, the risk of fire is also plagued throughout its life cycle. From manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, to end users, you should be more aware that this excellent tool delivers energy while also posing a fire hazard. Every link in the battery supply chain should be responsible for ensuring safety.

Lithium battery fire characteristics

Lithium batteries are self-igniting and then explode due to overheating. Causes of overheating include electrical shorts, rapid discharges, overcharging, manufacturing defects, poor design or mechanical damage, and the like. Overheating can result in a "thermal runaway" process, in which an exothermic reaction inside the battery causes the internal temperature and pressure of the battery to rise at a rapid rate, thereby wasting energy.

Once a battery unit enters a thermal runaway state, it generates enough heat to cause adjacent battery cells to enter a thermal runaway state. As each cell breaks in turns and releases its contents, a flame of repeated combustion is produced. This causes leakage of the flammable electrolyte in the battery, and if a disposable lithium battery is used, it also releases combustible lithium metal. A huge problem arises. These fires cannot be treated like “normal” fires. Targeted training, prevention and control planning, proper storage and establishment of fire extinguishing systems are required.

There is currently limited data on fire characteristics for large batteries. However, we can predict that when the battery enters thermal runaway, thermal runaway propagation will produce an identifiable mark; the battery will also exhibit the corresponding characteristics in some way. The fire may be in a state of gradual burnout or an explosion. Both types of accidents, as well as the negative by-products they produce (jetted shrapnel, molten metal, burning electrolytes, and other materials) can be managed and controlled by setting appropriate storage measures and transportation environments for the battery.

Systems using lithium (ion) batteries may need to continue to use and develop some suppression and fire suppression systems to reduce the incidence of negative accidents and thus control the risk in order for the battery system to be reassured by the user.

Lithium (ion) battery fires occur all over the world. These fires occur in energy storage systems (wind, solar, etc.), battery testing environments, transportation and storage, and many other areas. Self-igniting battery packs have caught fire in many electric vehicles, many of which involve fires or explosions. Although in the automotive, fire research and emergency response industries, many people believe that the risk of fire in lithium battery powered vehicles will not be greater than that of conventional vehicle systems, it is widely recognized that by-products such as lithium battery fires, heat and flame will generate poles great danger. These hazards include the ability to release toxic substances and produce volatile combustion. In other words, lithium battery fires may not be "more" dangerous than conventional fires, but they are different from conventional fires and have unique risks.

The mechanism for manufacturing, transporting, and storing lithium (ion) batteries is also not considered to be immune to fire accidents. Thermal runaway events have also caused some large-scale fires in many facilities that store lithium (ion) batteries. These fires have a particularly large impact because the large part of lithium (ion) battery is typically stored in these facilities, further accelerating the spread of fire.

Risk Management

We can do it. Lithium battery fire risk can be effectively managed. Fire risk of lithium ion batteries can be managed to a large extent through reasonable planning, risk assessment, storage methods and fire fighting and emergency response measures. The following aspects should be considered when developing strategies to manage battery fire risk

Storage/transport safety

Some dangers are related to the dangers associated with handling the battery itself. In most cases, mechanical damage to the battery can be the highest risk factor for thermal runaway (fire/explosion) events. Improper handling of the battery can result in it being crushed or punctured, which can result in leakage or shorting of the electrolyte material. These conditions can cause thermal runaway and fire and/or explosion.

FM Global and the NFPA Fire Research Foundation have released data related to the flammability characteristics of lithium-ion batteries in storage. The report details the tests for large-scale fires in lithium-ion batteries in warehouse storage, a groundbreaking study of batteries in fire accidents. The test results seem to confirm the following:

Because these products contain flammable electrolytes, lithium-ion batteries have several unique fire hazards in fire.

Dense lithium-ion cylindrical batteries and polymer batteries behave differently than lithium-ion batteries in this type of fire.

When lithium batteries are stored in bulk in corrugated cardboard boxes, early extinguishing and cooling of lithium-ion batteries is necessary to properly protect the facility.

Existing protection solutions for other types of high risk products and materials can effectively protect high-volume storage lithium ion batteries.

Activities still have their limitations. One of the obvious limitations is that it only tested small capacity 18650 batteries. 18650 batteries are commonly used in electronic equipment (considered as AA size). Combustion testing is also required for higher capacity batteries (such as those used in electric vehicles, energy storage, and other configurations) because the combustion characteristics and consequences of these batteries can be quite different. The challenges raised by large-capacity batteries for fire management cannot be ignored.

NFPA and other standards development organizations have not yet completed formal standards and guidelines for managing battery fires, but existing storage and transportation strategies can be used to help manage fire risks. Finding a professional company specializing in lithium battery fire management and suppression is a good start. These companies differ from general fire protection system designers and fire engineering contractors because they are well versed in unique storage and fire risk suppression methods that are closely related to lithium battery fire issues, and have appropriate risk management practices.

SCIC is used to extinguish the fire. Based on this consideration, an effective solution is to install the battery storage in an environment with a cooling fire suppression system. The best way to extinguish a lithium-ion (secondary) battery is to cool the burning material; a lithium battery (containing lithium metal) requires a separate fire-fighting method.

This is crucial for EHS. It is also worth noting that the lithium battery is isolated from other production facilities by external storage or remote storage. The battery storage yard should allow off-site storage and deliver just-in-time delivery when needed by the unit.

As mentioned above, batteries are almost an integral part of the business community and personal life; they are closely related to everyone's life. Therefore, any organization or individual should be aware of the unique hazards that these batteries can pose. Companies with large numbers of lithium batteries should work with experts to develop training to reduce the incidence of fire accidents and ensure additional safety measures. These trainings may involve battery hazard awareness issues, or may include more detailed situational training such as battery fire characteristics, emergency response procedures, and the use of fire suppression facilities (focusing on lithium-ion batteries). This type of training will help protect life and property.

SOP includes procedures that guide the transportation and receipt, handling, daily use, storage and other functions of the battery. A suitable battery standard operating procedure (SOP) will cover all aspects of the battery's entire life cycle. These programs provide the basis for the safe use and handling of batteries and are the starting point for developing effective risk management processes.

MSDS and other recommendations from manufacturers and distributors: These documents provide practical means of appropriate storage, handling and emergency response. It should be noted that the MSDS recommendations are usually quite volatile and sometimes very different.

It should be pointed out that the current testing activities still have their limitations. One of the obvious limitations is that it only tested small capacity 18650 batteries. 18650 batteries are commonly used in electronic equipment (considered as AA size). Combustion testing is also required for higher capacity batteries (such as those used in electric vehicles, energy storage, and other configurations) because the combustion characteristics and consequences of these batteries can be quite different. The challenges raised by large-capacity batteries for fire management cannot be ignored.

Although NFPA and other standards development organizations have not yet completed formal standards and guidelines for managing battery fires, existing storage and transportation strategies can be used to help manage fire risks. Finding a professional company specializing in lithium battery fire management and suppression is a good start. These companies differ from general fire protection system designers and fire engineering contractors because they are well versed in unique storage and fire risk suppression methods that are closely related to lithium battery fire issues, and have appropriate risk management practices.

At the very least, the effective battery fire suppression and fire suppression system is an effective risk management strategy for battery storage systems. These systems will cover the entire fire event process and be extinguished by cooling, isolating and suppressing, or SCIC. Based on this consideration, an effective solution is to install the battery storage in an environment with a cooling fire suppression system. The best way to extinguish a lithium-ion (secondary) battery is to cool the burning material; a lithium battery (containing lithium metal) requires a separate fire-fighting method.

Another option is to isolate the lithium battery from other battery chemicals and commodities (in storage, transportation). They should be stored (transported) in an environment that can effectively control fire and toxic flammable by-products. This is crucial for EHS. It is also worth noting that the lithium battery is isolated from other production facilities by external storage or remote storage. The battery storage yard should allow off-site storage and deliver just-in-time delivery when needed by the unit.

Training

Since lithium batteries pose serious challenges to their users, it is recommended to incorporate appropriate training into their risk management strategies. As mentioned above, batteries are almost an integral part of the business community and personal life; they are closely related to everyone's life. Therefore, any organization or individual should be aware of the unique hazards that these batteries can pose. Companies with large numbers of lithium batteries should work with experts to develop training to reduce the incidence of fire accidents and ensure additional safety measures. These trainings may involve battery hazard awareness issues, or may include more detailed situational training such as battery fire characteristics, emergency response procedures, and the use of fire suppression facilities (focusing on lithium-ion batteries). This type of training will help protect life and property.

Standard operating procedure

Effective Battery Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) include procedures that guide the transportation and reception, handling, daily use, storage and other functions of the battery. A suitable battery standard operating procedure (SOP) will cover all aspects of the battery's entire life cycle. These programs provide the basis for the safe use and handling of batteries and are the starting point for developing effective risk management processes.

Emergency response procedure

In most cases, lithium battery fires should not be treated like normal fires. Its combustion characteristics and toxic by-product release components are different. The appropriate organization can determine its level of risk through an appropriate assessment and create an emergency response procedure. Pay close attention to the Chemical Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and other recommendations from manufacturers and distributors. These documents specify possible methods for proper storage, handling and emergency response. It is important to note that the recommendations of the Chemical Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) usually fluctuate widely and sometimes are very different.

Obviously, although lithium battery technology is a powerful tool, it also has its own shortcomings. Proper planning, storage and operational training will help ensure the safety of an effective battery management system. Long-term effective attention to fire and explosion issues will greatly help protect valuable lives and property from these risks. Nanjing Heben Electromechanical Equipment Technology Co., Ltd. (15380868114) specializes in fire protection technology in the field of new energy.

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