Muhammad Rizwan Azhar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Picture this: you''re cruising down the Great Ocean Road in your brand newelectric vehicle (EV), the ocean to your left and the wind in your hair. But what if I told you this idyllic drive could turn into a nightmare, with the faint smell of something burning?
This month we have had at least two large lithium-ion battery fires in Australia – one in the Sydney airport car park and another one more recently at the Bouldercombe battery storage site in Queensland.
Most electric vehicles humming along Australian roads are packed withlithium-ion batteries. They''re the same powerhouses that fuel our smartphonesand laptops – celebrated for their ability to store heaps of energy in a smallspace.
The reality is lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles are very safe. In fact, from 2010 to June 2023, only four electric vehicle battery fires had been recorded in Australia. A recent paper forecasts a possible total of around 900 EV fires between 2023 and 2050. This is, for all intents and purposes, a small amount.
Nonetheless, when EV batteries do overheat, they''re susceptible to something called "thermal runaway". This chemical reaction can be triggered from faults in the battery – whether that''s an internal failure (such as an internal short circuit) or some kind of external damage. In extreme cases, it causes the battery to catch fire or explode.
Then there are even larger batteries, such as Megapacks, which are what recently caught fire at Bouldercombe. Megapacks are large lithium-based batteries, designed by Tesla. They are intended to function as energy storage and to help "stabilise the grid and prevent outages".
The Megapack that caught fire on Tuesday is one of 40 lithium-ion Megapack 2.0 units on-site. A Megapack fire is daunting for obvious reasons. These have a capacity of 3 megawatt hours, which equals 3,000 kilowatts of electricity generated per hour.
If a fire bursts out in an EV or battery storage facility, the first instinct may be to grab the nearest hose. However, getting too close to the fire could spell disaster as you may be injured by jet-like flames or projectiles.
In the case of up-and-coming solid-state batteries with a lithium metal anode (instead of the more common graphite anode), these have a rather unwelcome talent for chemical reactions when they come into contact with water.
While firefighters have used water on lithium-battery fires in the past (as it can help with cooling the battery itself), they have at times needed up to 40 times as much as a normal car fire requires.
Globally, numerous solutions have been proposed for extinguishing lithium-ion battery fires. However, as of now, neither Australian standards, nor any other internationally-recognised guidelines adequately address fire extinguishing requirements for this purpose.
For standard lithium-ion battery fires, the sprinkling of fine water mist may be used to suppress the fire. On the other hand, experts recommend using specially-designed Class D fire extinguishers for solid-state lithium-metal battery fires – or dry chemical fire extinguishers that are appropriate for electrical fires.
These contain substances, such as sodium chloride powder or pressurised argon, that can combat the challenges posed by solid-state batteries. Sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt, melts to form an oxygen-excluding crust over the fire. Similarly, argon is an inert and non-flammable gas which can help put out fires by suffocating oxygen.
That brings us to the aftermath of the fire – and another often-overlooked hazard: toxic fumes. When lithium-ion batteries catch fire in a car or at a storage site, they don''t just release smoke; they emit a cocktail of dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen chloride.
These fumes can be hazardous to your health, especially when inhaled in significant quantities. This is why these battery fires are a particular concern in confined spaces such as a garage, where noxious gases can accumulate quickly.
First, get to know your EV inside and out. Familiarise yourself with its safety features. Does it have a functioning thermal management system to help keep the battery cool? What about sensors that could alert you to a problem before it turns into a crisis?
About Batteries caught and exploded
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Batteries caught and exploded have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Batteries caught and exploded for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Batteries caught and exploded featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
Related Contents
