Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Suppression Using Water Mist Systems

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) have superior energy density and lifetime compared to battery technologies such as lead acid. Despite the widespread application of LiBs in energy storage systems, electronic devices, aerospace and the automotive industry, they present a fire risk. In this study, experiments were conducted to characterize the thermal behavior of the electrolyte (as the main contributor to LiB fires) using a cone calorimeter; investigate the interactions of water mist and a Bunsen burner, as a precursor to examining the effectiveness of a water mist suppression system in extinguishing a LiB fire. In the present work, we have endeavored to systematically study the fire suppression efficacy of water mist by adopting to some novel approaches. This involved carefully planned laboratory scale explorations that involved a propane gas fueled flame, and subsequently by using bespoke set up that mimicked fire owing to fuel surge from typical Li-ion cell (18650 cells). In the latter set of fire suppression tests, water droplets were produced by a fan nozzle and sprayed horizontally toward the jet flame of replica 18560 battery containing only the electrolyte. The results showed that both fire types (Bunsen burner and LiB) are suppressed rapidly on activation of the water mist fire suppression system for geometries that enable the water mist direct access to the lift-off zone, between the gas source and base of the flame.

Review–Recent Advances in Fire-Suppressing Agents for Mitigating Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

“…Ghiji et al 21 introduced an innovative method involving the deployment of a fine water droplet sheath horizontally across a flame front. Their study examined the impact of various factors, such as lift-off zone, flame length, spray nozzle-to-flame distance, and the water mist system configuration (vertical or horizontal), on the efficacy of flame suppression by water mist.…”

“…Despite traditional fire suppressants such as gaseous, water, or dry powder-based, this paper has discussed the emerging types of fire extinguishers such as liquid nitrogen, 2-BTP, hydrogels, aqueous vermiculite dispersion, and composite-based, which have not been addressed in prior studies. [21][22][23] Furthermore, the review highlights the recent progress in fire-extinguishing agents, collects data from current research papers and patents from 2020 to 2024, discusses their pros and cons, and emphasizes the need for improved strategies to enhance the efficacy of these agents and prevent re-ignition. In the end, we have provided a detailed comparison between all the mentioned fire suppressants, covering various factors to determine their working z E-mail: malikurooj9@gmail.com; farid.akhtar@ltu.se efficiency.…”

Investigation and Optimization of a Thermal Management System for Lithium-Ion Batteries Combining Closed Air-Cooling With Phase Change Material

“…In the abnormal temperature range, the performance and stability of lithium-ion batteries of almost all materials decline rapidly. Therefore, an efficient battery thermal management system (BTMS) is essential to keep the battery temperature within a reasonable range and reduce temperature difference between batteries (Lu et al, 2020;Ghiji et al, 2021). To maintain the best performance and extend the service life of the batteries, the temperature of all batteries should be maintained within a range of 20 o C-50 o C. The maximum temperature difference between batteries should be less than 5 o C at a high discharge rate .…”

Flow Direction Effects on Temperature Distribution of Li-Ion Cylindrical Battery Module With Water/Ferrofluid as Coolants

“…Recently, the work on lithium-ion battery thermal behavior has been reviewed (Galatro et al, 2020;Singh et al, 2021). Next, Ghiji et al, (2021) experimentally studied the thermal behavior of the electrolyte using a calorimeter and a Bunsen burner as a precursor to examining the effectiveness of a water mist suppression system in extinguishing a lithium-ion battery pack. Budiman et al, (2022) experimentally visualized the streamwise development of counter-rotating vortices from the electric vehicle battery module.…”