Fire Rating Compliance 

Lithium-Ion Batteries and Charging – Fire Risk

With the exponential rise in the use of Lithium-Ion batteries, the risk of Battery explosions has increased exponentially whether during charging, de-charging or just standing. No brand or device type is immune, whether it’s a battery tool, RF scanner, e-bike, scooter or rechargeable torch.

Understanding the Risk

Lithium-Ion batteries can explode due to:

• Overcharging
• Faulty batteries
• High temperatures causing thermal runaway
• Damaged batteries (you only need to drop your battery tool to compromise the battery ) or  maybe it’s simply just too old and worn-out.

When a thermal runaway occurs, the battery can keep building up energy and exploding over and over again, shooting flames for up to two hours after that initial powerful blast 

Our Solution: Li-Ion BATTERY CHARGING & STORAGE CABINETS

Extensive R&D and Innovative Design

In 2019, after six months of rigorous research and development, we discovered that containing the explosion and allowing batteries to expend their energy was crucial. 

Here’s how our Li-Ion Battery Charging & Storage Cabinets mitigate these risks:

• HotWall Insulation: Rated at 1260°C and 1430°C, this extreme temperature insulation is sandwiched between the walls, roof, floor, doors and shelves to mitigate that initial powerful blast from melting through the steel walls of the cabinet. 
• Compartmentalized Design: Separate compartments with insulated shelves reduce the risk of multiple batteries igniting simultaneously.
• Cooling System: Multiple electric fans keep batteries cool in each compartment, helping to prevent overheating.
• Lithium-ion Battery Storage:  If you are just storing batteries , you must consider that there is likely to be one of the batteries which is compromised and explodes lighting up the rest of the batteries 

Why Choose Our Li-Ion Battery Charging & Storage Cabinets?

1. Effective Containment: Our cabinets are designed to handle thermal runaway events, ensuring batteries can safely expend their energy.
2. Automatic Fire Suppression: Unlike traditional systems, our cabinets don’t rely on single-use suppression devices.
3. Heavy-Duty Options: Specially designed for 48 Volt E-bike batteries with higher fire rating insulation.
4. We have 6 models of charging cabinets in our range plus another in production

Important Safety Guidelines

1. Do Not Interfere: Never open the doors during a battery fire,  you may get exposure to toxic Hydrogen Fluoride gas . 
2. Pouring water on a battery fire is not recommended , for a start that battery could reach temperatures exceeding 1000 Degrees C. how could you ever get close enough to that extreme heat to extinguish it ?
3. It is best to let the lithium -ion battery spend its energy within a controlled compartment .  Recommended by the Fire Service. (Ask them )
4. Effective Containment: Our cabinets are designed to handle thermal runaway events, ensuring batteries can safely expend their energy.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is the cabinet recommended for indoors?

Yes, it is designed for indoor use (or the HD model is designed for outdoor use). Five fans draw in clean air and force it over and around the charging batteries to keep them cool at around 10–30°C regardless of the outside temperature.

Is there capability for a smoke detector/alarm to be built in?

The fire service has advised firefighters not to attempt extinguishing Lithium-ion battery fires but to monitor them instead. Our cabinet is designed to contain the fire safely. We initially offered Wi-Fi and app alerts but removed them after guidance from fire safety authorities. The same applies to smoke detectors — they cannot stop or change the fire. If you see smoke, do not open the cabinet. Water worsens the situation by releasing toxic gas. The fire must be allowed to self-contain and burn out inside the cabinet.

Is there an option with a built-in extinguisher system?

Our Lithium-ion Charging cabinets do not have fire suppression devices fitted inside,  after research we found that single-use fire suppression devices can fail inside lithium-ion battery charging cabinets for several reasons, primarily due to the unique characteristics of lithium-ion battery fires. Here are the key factors that contribute to the failure of these devices:

1. High Temperature and Intensity of Lithium-ion Battery Fires: Lithium-ion battery fires are notoriously difficult to suppress due to the high temperatures and intensity they generate. When a lithium-ion battery undergoes thermal runaway (a chain reaction in which the battery heats up uncontrollably), it can reach temperatures above 1,000°C (1,832°F). Many single-use fire suppression systems are not designed to handle such extreme conditions, limiting their ability to extinguish or contain these fires effectively.
2. Electrolyte Combustion: Lithium-ion batteries contain flammable electrolytes, which can cause fires to reignite or continue burning, even after the initial fire suppression effort. Single-use systems may be unable to address this issue, especially if the fire reignites once the suppressant material dissipates or is ineffective against the chemical combustion.
3. Battery Reactions: Lithium-ion batteries can release highly flammable gases during thermal runaway, such as hydrogen fluoride, which can fuel the fire further. Single-use suppression devices are often unable to counteract these gases, leaving the fire to spread even after initial suppression efforts.
4. Limited Suppressant Quantity: Single-use fire suppression devices typically have a limited amount of suppressant agent. The volume of suppressant required to adequately extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire may exceed the capacity of a single-use device. Once depleted, the device cannot continue to fight the fire, and a new system would need to be deployed.
5. Size and Layout of Charging Cabinets: Many charging cabinets are not designed to accommodate the effective distribution of suppressant agents. If the cabinet is large or has complex layouts, the suppressant may not reach all areas affected by the fire, particularly if the fire is confined to specific battery cells or parts of the battery system.
6. Lack of Early Detection: Many single-use fire suppression systems rely on early detection to trigger activation. However, thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries may progress rapidly, and the system might activate too late or fail to detect the fire in time, especially if there is poor monitoring of battery health and charging conditions.
7. Inadequate Ventilation Control: Effective suppression also requires controlling the airflow, which is often difficult to manage in confined spaces like charging cabinets. Without proper ventilation control, fire suppression agents can disperse too quickly or may not be effective in putting out the fire completely.

Is there an option to get a built-in timer on the chargers to prevent batteries from being left on charge?

The problem is that some batteries take much longer to charge than others. For example, one battery may be 10% charged while another is 90% charged. How do you determine the required charging time for each battery?

All battery chargers have a built-in mechanism that automatically turns off the charger once the battery is fully charged. Additionally, if the charger is faulty, a two-pole breaker will sense an earth leak or an overload and trip.

If you need more details, please ask.

A recent article also raised concerns about potassium salts from automatic suppression devices potentially interfering with battery function—even if no fire is visible.

For more information or to make a purchase, contact our sales team.

For more information, contact our sales team on sales@tscw.com.au