Fire safety early warning solution for lithium battery energy storage power stations
According to a report by FOX 5/KUSI, a fire broke out at a battery storage facility in Escondido, California, on Thursday afternoon. Escondido Fire Chief Tyler Batson stated that firefighters received the first fire alarm at 12:09 p.m., when smoke was detected in the battery pack area at 571 Enterprise Street, triggering the alarm. Upon arrival, firefighters noticed smoke emanating from one of the battery storage system containers. They worked to prevent the fire from spreading to other battery packs by dousing them with water and maintaining a safe temperature.
Battery storage is rapidly becoming a key component of the global clean energy transition and a vital tool for ensuring grid reliability. However, safety concerns cannot be overlooked. Containerized lithium-ion battery storage systems, which integrate lithium-ion batteries, battery management systems, monitoring systems, air conditioning, fire protection, and distribution systems within a standard container, are designed to offer high integration, large capacity, and mobility. Nevertheless, lithium-ion batteries have high energy density, and their electrolyte solvents, often organic carbonates, are highly flammable due to their low flash points and high chemical reactivity. Even with protective measures in container design, it is challenging to prevent thermal runaway inside the storage battery due to overcharging, over-discharging, short-circuiting, or mechanical damage, which can lead to explosions, fires, and chain reactions. Given the integrated design of lithium-ion batteries in the container, a thermal runaway event in one battery pack can result in a significant thermal impact on surrounding batteries, causing the runaway to spread. This may generate a large amount of flammable alkane gases, potentially leading to severe fires or explosions.
Safety warnings have always been a crucial consideration in the construction of energy storage stations, with thermal runaway of battery compartments being the primary cause of safety incidents. Battery compartments in energy storage stations urgently require a monitoring and early warning solution that can automatically and continuously collect data on the safety status of lithium-ion batteries. This would enable the early detection of changes in gas and temperature before or after thermal runaway, providing timely and accurate warnings to give managers ample time to take appropriate action, thereby preventing outages and the escalation of fires.
To address the characteristics and technical requirements for fire suppression in containerized lithium-ion battery storage systems, systematic research should be conducted from the perspectives of fire safety standard system development, new firefighting technology and device research, and early fire detection and warning device development. This would involve establishing a comprehensive and scientific technical standard system and testing specifications, as well as developing targeted fire suppression technologies for lithium-ion battery storage systems. These measures will enhance the safety of containerized lithium-ion battery storage systems and promote their large-scale application in new power systems.
Jinan Rainbow Technology's fire suppression solution for electrochemical energy storage containers consists of a detection and alarm system (for detecting gas released during lithium battery thermal runaway) and an electrochemical storage container fire suppression system (which uses precise, multiple-point discharge of perfluorohexanone to prevent re-ignition and extinguish the fire, followed by fine water mist to cool the container and prevent fire spread). The solution is based on the principle of "early detection, early warning, and early action," providing early detection and precise suppression of fire in the initial stages of lithium battery thermal runaway within the storage container.
Rainbow's multi in one Lithium Battery Safety Monitoring module (H2+CO+VOC+Smog+Temperature)
Rainbow's multi in one Lithium Battery Safety Monitoring module (CO+H2+smoke+Temperature)
Rainbow's multi in one Lithium Battery Safety Monitoring module (CO+H2+Temperature)
For fire detection, the detection and alarm system is the main component. It uses a composite detector specifically designed for lithium batteries, with multiple detectors placed inside each battery cluster. These detectors monitor parameters such as temperature, carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from electrolyte leaks, and smoke. Through a comprehensive algorithm, the system evaluates these signals and transmits them to the main control unit and other platforms. The detection and alarm system can detect early signals released by individual battery modules at the initial stage of a fire, allowing more time to process information and suppress the fire in its infancy.
For fire suppression, the electrochemical energy storage container fire suppression system is the primary component. It employs perfluorohexanone (with multiple suppression methods available) for initial non-destructive, precise, multiple-point extinguishing, followed by a fine water mist to continuously cool the battery compartment. This system can perform multiple-point perfluorohexanone discharges to suppress thermal runaway and re-ignition of lithium batteries, while the fine water mist provides sustained cooling to the battery compartment, preventing further spread of the fire to adjacent battery clusters or storage containers.
The solution consists of a detection and alarm system and an electrochemical storage container fire suppression system. The detection and alarm system includes a composite fire warning device for lithium-ion battery boxes, safety monitoring detectors for energy storage equipment, gas alarm controllers, and cables. The electrochemical storage container fire suppression system comprises a fire suppression device (including fine water mist and perfluorohexanone), nozzles, solenoid valves, and a piping network.
By integrating early detection and targeted suppression technologies, Jinan Rainbow Technology aims to effectively mitigate fire risks in containerized lithium-ion battery storage systems, safeguarding the stability and reliability of energy storage infrastructures.