With the increased use of energy storage systems Lithium-based batteries in industrial environments can lead to dangerous situations due to misuse or external factors, which can even cause the batteries to burn.
Table of Contents
Risk 1: Overload
The overcharge situation occurs when the battery is charged above the volts for which it is designed. Under these conditions, liquid electrolytes are no longer stable and begin to degrade, decomposing into solid and gaseous parts. This produces an increase in the internal resistance of the battery, which allows fewer ions to pass between the anode and the cathode. The increase in internal resistance decreases the capacity of the battery and the process feeds back.
In addition, the increase in solid and gaseous particles causes the piles to swell. The overcharging process also encourages metallic lithium to form in different ways. Lithium dendrites are generated by this process, growing from the anode, being able to perforate the separator and making contact with the cathode. This contact between the anode and the cathode can cause a short circuit. As the liquid electrolyte is not stable with metallic lithium, an aggressive breakdown of the electrolyte occurs, releasing a large amount of heat.
To do this, BESS batteries such as the Pixii Power Shaper incorporate a BMS (Battery Management System) that is responsible for avoiding overloads.
Risk 2: Overdischarge
When an over discharge occurs, the cell voltage drops below the appropriate limits. The protective passivation layer on the surface of the anode electrode can be damaged. Although if it is regenerated by reacting the liquid electrolyte with the damaged surface of the anode, the liquid electrolyte is also damaged in this process.
The over discharge can produce a process similar to that of the dendrites in the overload. If it is intense or repeated, the copper current collector can gradually dissolve, forming copper ions that in the next charging cycles are deposited on the anode surface until they can make contact, producing an internal short-circuit.
In the same way, the BMS system is in charge of preventing these over-discharge situations from occurring.
Risk 3: Overtemperature
Elevated temperatures accelerate a large number of reactive processes. excessively high temperatures can cause spontaneous combustion of lithium batteries, in the same way that not maintaining an adequate temperature causes a greater degradation of it.
In the case of the Pixii Power Shaper, each cabinet incorporates temperature and ventilation sensors that maintain proper levels. For use outdoors in hot climates, the version with air conditioning that regulates the temperature of the battery rack and all systems is available.
Risk 4: External factors
Lithium batteries are sensitive to shock and puncture. In general, the entire system can be affected by vibrations, water, humidity, impacts and even fires outside the rack. To avoid this, the Pixii Power Shaper is made up of a cabinet with adequate mechanical protection and an IP55 degree of protection in its outdoor version that avoids all possible risks.
Risk 5: Poor design or manufacturing
A bad design, bad manufacture or bad installation can cause or aggravate the problems that we have talked about in the previous points. For this reason, it is important to opt for top-level manufacturers that design and manufacture their batteries and systems under the highest safety standards and that control quality in all processes. These manufacturers will assure us that the batteries have:
- Safety certifications: Depending on our location, the batteries must have various safety certifications, such as the IEC 62619 standard in the case of Europe.
- Security test: the most adequate are those of internal and external short circuits, overload, over discharge, mitigation, propagation, degradation, over temperature, vibration, impacts and projectiles, exposure and low pressures.
The design of the BESS is also very important. Thus, They must incorporate a multi-layer security system with measures to mitigate possible failures or risks mentioned above at the cell level, at the level of each module and at the level of the entire rack. This security affects the design and its control, but also aspects such as the materials used.
Thus we can find elements such as ventilation, various switches, pressure valves for possible gases emitted, fire, temperature and electrical sensors, as well as the use of insulating materials, combustion retardants and anti-corrosion treatments. In addition to of course overload and over discharge protections as well as a advanced monitoring and precise temperature management and everything that happens at an electrical level.
For example, our Pixii Power Shaper has these security measures in each component, with redundancy in the systems where it is necessary to guarantee its perfect operation safely. In the same way, its installation and configuration is simple and follows all the guidelines to guarantee this security. Its modular design also mitigates the risk of fire.
The communication between different elements of the installation, such as between the BMS and the charger inverter, is very important to avoid all the situations described above. Mixing devices from different manufacturers that do not guarantee interaction can lead to calibration errors, uncontrolled charging/discharging, etc.
Specialists in energy storage with Batteries
Pebblex is a specialist in industrial energy storage, with intelligent solutions of high efficiency and scalability that adapt to any situation, guaranteeing great performance.
