Where Lithium-Ion Batteries are Used
Most of us are familiar with their use in mobile phones, laptops, and other consumer electronics, as well as e-bikes and e-scooters. But they are also being used across the commercial transport and energy sectors to decarbonize and support sustainability. Electric vehicles and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) rely on li-ion batteries as a flexible, sustainable alternative to traditional power and storage solutions.
eMobility – Vehicles Using Li-Ion Batteries
With a worldwide focus on industries reducing their impact on the environment, the industrial e-mobility sector is developing rapidly. The need to sustainably move goods and people means that many companies are innovating to electrically power industrial and commercial vehicles such as trucks, trains, cargo ships, and luxury liners.
Influenced and supported through technological advances and government schemes around the globe, the use of electrical vehicles has skyrocketed. Within the shipping industry, the last decade has seen a transition from lead to lithium-ion batteries to reduce GHG emissions. Although sometimes used as a form of backup power on board ships, li-ion batteries also allow ships to operate in a zero emissions mode, temporarily using batteries as their only source of power. This supports movement in and around environmentally controlled areas (ECA) and enables compliance with rigorous port requirements.
Elsewhere, high-speed, regional, local public and locomotive trains are also harnessing the power of lithium-ion batteries. Many rail networks operate electric trains utilizing overhead cables or live rails, although there are still stretches of track where this mode of operating is not possible. In these cases, we are seeing a shift to electric, battery-powered locomotives, also known as BELs (Battery-Electric Locomotives). These use li-ion batteries due to the technology’s ability to reach the required multi megawatt hour level.
Trucks and lifting vehicles are also able to run for extended periods of time using li-ion batteries as an environmentally friendly alternative to previously used fuels. The aviation sector is another area of transportation that is being sustainably transformed by aircraft such as eVTOLs, which are electrically powered craft that hover, fly, take off and land vertically.
Risks and Lithium-Ion Battery Safety in Vehicles
With vehicles across the transportation sector increasingly using li-ion batteries, battery safety is becoming a hot topic. You will be familiar with the often dramatic news stories of e-bikes exploding and li-ion batteries catching fire. This serves to highlight the importance of preventing and mitigating the risks of leakage, thermal runaway, fire, explosion, and other hazards that can occur if batteries are not installed, used, or maintained correctly.
Regular maintenance is key to check for any telltale signs of damage and overheating, such as battery swelling or contraction. Proper handling of a lithium-ion battery is also crucial for safety. It should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Every battery will have a battery management system that monitors the charge, voltage, and battery temperature to assess likelihood of overheating, over-charging, or over-discharging. As a last line of defense, pressure relief is required to mitigate the damage from thermal runaway.
BESS – Battery Energy Storage Systems
The use of batteries in Energy Storage Systems (ESS) is anew and emerging practice in the global renewable energy sector. These large farms of containers store surplus energy produced by renewable sources until itis needed for release into the National Grid. They perform a vital service due to the intermittency of wind and solar power. Lithium-ion batteries are the most used type of battery in battery energy storage systems (BESS). They offer an affordable and flexible means of storage due to their power density against a small size.
Given that there are hundreds of li-ion batteries in close proximity to each other in a BESS system, regulating fire safety is a core concern. Although there has only been one documented incident of a BESS fire in the UK, the risks are real. Recommended fire prevention and suppression measures include:
- Automatic fire detection systems;
- CO gas detection systems;
- Sprinkler systems to reduce the risk of thermal runaway;
- Careful design to ensure adequate separation and thermal barriers between switchgear and batteries;
- An emergency response plan;
- Pressure equalization and emergency pressure relief.
Pressure Relief Solutions for Lithium-Ion Battery Safety
OsecoElfab offers a range of specialist rupture discs for lithium-ion batteries. The OE Lion™ brand offers a series of high-tech solutions, each of which is fully customizable to handle the unique and often challenging environments in which lithium-ion batteries operate.
The specialized rupture discs and explosion vents provide fast, reliable and accurate emergency pressure relief with the option of adding a breather membrane for ongoing pressure equalization. Combining these two pressure safety features in a single device enables battery manufacturers and integrators to design safer, simpler and more cost-effective li-ion batteries. Visit our product pages to view the full OE Lion range and learn more about our pressure safety solutions for BESS solutions and eMobility.
