Battery fires within energy storage systems (ESS’s) aren’t as rare as one might think. The reason they are often underpublicized and, fortunately, there haven’t been more tragedies is because ESS’s are often installed away from residential or commercial areas. However, with the increased efforts in renewable energy production and therefore the exponential deployment of ESS’s, these units will no longer be…
Fike Blue advances the safe deployment of lithium-ion battery storage systems, particularly in urban and suburban settings where fire risks can have severe consequences. These systems are crucial for storing renewable energy and supporting electric grid stability, but their potential for cascading thermal runaway poses significant safety challenges. Unlike traditional fire suppression methods that may struggle to contain or extinguish…
In the realm of fire safety, the management of battery fires, especially those involving lithium-ion batteries, presents a significant challenge due to the risk of thermal runaway. This phenomenon, where a fire escalates rapidly and uncontrollably, has posed a serious threat in various industries, from automotive to energy storage facilities. Fike Blue™ has been a groundbreaking solution in this domain,…
Battery fires within energy storage systems (ESS’s) aren’t as rare as one might think. The reason they are often underpublicized and, fortunately, there haven’t been more tragedies (such as the four critically injured firefighters in Surprise, AZ in 2019), is because ESS’s are often installed away from residential or commercial areas. However, with the ongoing adoption of renewable energy production,…
The threat of thermal runaway in an energy storage system (ESS) is often thought of as a fire hazard, but just as important is its explosion risk. Along with the intense heat generated from each affected battery cell during thermal runaway is a dangerous mixture of offgas. According to NFPA 855 (A.9.6.5.6), thermal runaway results in the offgassing of “mixtures…
Q&A with Tom Farrell on Conquering Thermal Runaway Propagation We recently interviewed Tom Farrell, Principal Engineer of Test and Validation Engineering at Fike Corporation about the dangers of thermal runaway, the solutions currently used to mitigate its effects, the effectiveness of Fike’s solution Fike Blue, and more about the advancement of safety in the energy storage industry. Q. Why aren’t…
Fike Corporation, a global leader in industrial safety solutions and manufacturer of the first third-party tested solution proven to stop thermal runaway, Fike BlueTM, announced it is now accepting battery and energy storage system manufacturers into the Fike BHA (Battery Hazard Analysis ) Program. A Fike BHA determines and validates the protection approach using Fike Blue as the thermal management…