To protect against the dangerous possibility of thermal runaway, places where lithium-ion batteries are stored or made need special fire suppression systems.
What is Thermal Runway?
Lithium-ion batteries are charged and drained to meet the grid’s energy needs. This flow of energy into and out of the batteries heats them up. When a battery is made wrong, a short can happen, which can cause thermal runaway.
Thermal runway happens when the temperature of one battery cell causes the temperature of the cells around it to rise as well. Fires in these batteries can get very dangerous, and they can start up again hours or days later because of thermal runaway.
Fire Suppression Systems
Because thermal runaway is so dangerous, it is especially important that lithium-ion batteries have specialized fire suppression systems that put out fires quickly and effectively. Some types of fire suppression systems used in these areas are:
- inert gas systems,
- novec fire suppression,
- water mist systems,
- clean agent fire suppression,
Detection Systems
In places where lithium-ion batteries are stored or made, it is important to find a fire quickly. Some effective detection systems in these areas include:
- Li-Ion Tamer early warning off gas detection systems
- VESDA smoke detection