Explosion-proof energy storage power supply

Why are explosion hazards a concern for ESS batteries?

For grid-scale and residential applications of ESS, explosion hazards are a significant concern due to the propensity of lithium-ion batteries to undergo thermal runaway, which causes a release of flammable gases composed of hydrogen, hydrocarbons (e.g. methane, ethylene, etc.), carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.

Does NFPA 855 require explosion protection?

The fire codes (IFC 2021 Chapter 1207, NFPA 855 ed. 2023) contain a requirement to include explosion protection for installed systems exceeding certain energy capacity thresholds.

Should deflagration venting be used as passive explosion protection?

In general, using deflagration venting as passive explosion protection in addition to an active system has multiple benefits due to the nature of the battery failure event, which involves a rapid release of flammable gases.

Why are uninterruptible power supplies important?

Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) are becoming increasingly significant as the importance of decentralized power sources grows and the dependability of power supply networks declines. Especially for applications that are safety essential or have a high need for plant availability.

What are the different types of explosion control options for ESS?

The two types of explosion control options for ESS, NFPA 68 deflagration venting and NFPA 69 exhaust ventilation, are based on a design basis determined from UL 9540A test data. This testing is meant to provide baseline data for the analysis and is generally extrapolated to a sufficiently conservative hazard scenario for the ESS installation.

Can passive protection be used as a sole explosion protection scheme?

The two main challenges in using passive protection methodology are design constraints for the enclosure and lack of validation data to support calculation methodology. These challenges make it difficult to obtain a feasible design for deflagration venting of ESS enclosures as the sole explosion protection scheme for most configurations.