Lithium-Ion Batteries and Charging – Fire Risk
Fire Rating Compliance
It’s not simply fire resistant ,that means it won’t burn if you try to light it. We have a full 90-minute fire rating for our lithium-ion battery charging cabinets through testing at an international facility.
During testing:
- Internal temperatures reached a maximum of 1006°C
- External temperatures remained low at just 70.6°C
Our findings are fully documented in a 19-page report, supported by photographic evidence showing:
- The internal steel skin became red hot, tending toward bright yellow
- The external surfaces showed no deterioration and virtually no distortion
- The powder coating on the outside remained essentially unchanged from its pre-test condition
It is important to understand that the most intense heat occurs during the initial battery explosion, before thermal runaway begins. Thermal runaway is the process where the battery rebuilds stored energy and re-explodes repeatedly.
By comparison, cabinets without Hotwall Insulation—such as standard flammable storage cabinets for paint or fuel (e.g., those built to AS1940)—typically rely on air gaps between wall skins. These designs:
- Do not achieve even a 10-minute fire rating
- But how quickly the inside temperature, after a battery explodes, can permeate that air gap to create a red hot outside skin, another disaster in the making. Think of an oven with no insulation to the outside walls . An exploding battery can take 4 seconds to reach 400ºC then continue to well over 1000ºC with several thermal runaway events.
Do not assume that a Class 3 or Class 9 cabinet will safely contain the effects of a battery explosion, if they did , we would have simply pointed you to our Flammable Cabinet range .
The full 19-page comprehensive fire rating report is available upon request via email.
Please note: Proof of identity may be required, as these reports are considered part of our very protected intellectual property.
New Exhaust Vent Assembly
Includes 1200°C Heti-Thermal ™ Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) filter for Smoke and other airborne contaminates - International Patent Rights Pending
- Fireproof expansion seal (15×2mm) tested to GB 16807-2009 standard
- All performance tests passed and met required safety criteria
- Demonstrates strong expansion, durability, and resistance to water, chemicals, and aging
- Low smoke toxicity and density, suitable for fire safety applications
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Fire resistance rating: 1.5 hours (90 minutes)
This prevents heat from a single battery explosion spreading and triggering simultaneous thermal runaway, avoiding a far more dangerous full-cabinet event.
Video Credit: Electrical Safety
Educational content used for compliance guidance purposes
Don’t Be Fooled: Why Standard Cabinets Are Not Safe for Lithium‑Ion Batteries
This video shows a Class 3 Flammable Cabinet (and similarly, a Class 9 Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods Cabinet) being used to store lithium‑ion batteries.
While these cabinets are designed for specific dangerous goods classifications, they are not engineered to manage the unique hazards associated with lithium‑ion battery thermal runaway.
In this example, the cabinet has no provision for controlled venting, allowing pressure and hazardous gases—such as hydrogen fluoride—to build rapidly inside the enclosure. When ignition occurs, the pressure has nowhere to go, causing the cabinet doors to blow open and eject burning lithium cells.
The energy released is significant. Small power‑tool batteries can be violently expelled and continue burning after impact, igniting surrounding materials. In real‑world conditions, this energy can propel burning cells several metres from the cabinet.
If this is the outcome with small lithium‑ion tool batteries, consider the potential consequences when larger energy‑dense batteries—such as e‑bike batteries or golf buggy batteries—are involved.
This footage highlights why purpose‑designed lithium‑ion battery storage solutions, incorporating appropriate fire containment and gas venting, are essential for managing the risks associated with modern energy storage technologies.
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 1300°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?
- Effective Containment: Our cabinets are designed to handle thermal runaway events, ensuring batteries can safely expend their energy.
- Automatic Fire Suppression: Unlike traditional systems, our cabinets don’t rely on single-use suppression devices.
- Heavy-Duty Options: Specially designed for 48 Volt E-bike batteries with higher fire rating insulation.
- We have 6 models of charging cabinets in our range plus another in production
Important Safety Guidelines
- Do Not Interfere: Never open the doors during a battery fire, you may get exposure to toxic Hydrogen Fluoride gas .
- 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 ?
- It is best to let the lithium -ion battery spend its energy within a controlled compartment . Recommended by the Fire Service. (Ask them )
- Effective Containment: Our cabinets are designed to handle thermal runaway events, ensuring batteries can safely expend their energy.
Lithium-Ion battery explosions are causing significant damage worldwide. Hundreds of incidents have been reported, often leading to building destruction and injured people We have 4 models designed for indoors and 3 Heavy Duty models designed for either indoors or outdoors , the fans draw in clean air and force it over and around the charging batteries to keep the batteries cooler.
After much research we elected to create compartments (Like Ovens, in fact our cabinets comply with the oven manufacturing standards ) with adjustable shelves with 1300 Degree continuous rated HotWall insulation within the shelves walls and doors which would mitigate the possibility of exploding batteries lighting up other batteries in an upper or lower compartment . The shelves, while adjustable and removable , have very little clearance gaps enhancing the compartments air tightness, apart from the fan with in that compartment exhausting cooling air from that compartment over the batteries. We looked at fitting timers, the problem being, that some batteries take a lot longer to charge the others eg, one battery may be 10% charged and another maybe 90% charged , how will you know which one will require which length of time to charge.
Most battery chargers have their own built in device to turn off the charger once the battery is fully charged. If the charger is faulty then the 2 pole breaker installed by our electrician will sense an earth leak and trip , or it can trip if it is over loaded.
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Is the cabinet recommended for indoors?
Is there capability for a smoke detector/alarm to be built in?
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
What is an IP rating ?
IP ratings for cabinets indicate their level of protection against the intrusion of solid objects (like dust) and liquids (like water). Common ratings for outdoor cabinets include IP55 (dust and low-pressure water jets), IP65 (dust and water jets), and IP66 (dust and high-pressure water jets). The first digit indicates protection against solids, and the second against liquids. Higher numbers generally mean better protection.
What IP Rating does your Lithium-ion HEAVY DUTY cabinets have?
On the 20 station and 8 station lithium-ion Heavy Duty units, the electric switches on the outside that turn on the fans have an IP 56 rating
Applications
Ideal for charging:
- Battery-operated tools
- Drones
- Golf bag buggies
- RF scanners
- Tasers
- Laptops
- Lamps and lasers
- Power packs
- Medical equipment
- E-bikes
- Scooters
For more information, contact our sales team