Delve into how comprehensive safety, extending beyond mere certifications, is built into the very foundation of advanced battery system design, ensuring reliable & secure power for mission-critical applications.
Contact: Betsy Barry
Communication Manager
706.206.7271
betsy.barry@acculonenergy.com
The electrification of commercial and industrial sectors is transforming how businesses operate, enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. While so many conversations around electrification focus on EVs, the impact of advanced battery systems extends beyond the auto industry. From warehouses and construction sites to manufacturing plants and data centers, battery storage solutions are optimizing energy use, reducing costs, and establishing reliable power sources in mission-critical contexts–contexts where it is needed most. In short, it has never been a better time to transition to an advanced battery system to power your commercial or industrial application.
That said, conversations surrounding electrification and advanced energy storage technologies have focused on the safety of cell chemistries like lithium, especially as mobility applications have become ubiquitous in urban environments. The flood of e-bikes and e-scooters into micromobility markets over the past few years has meant that some of these products are relying on cheap, non-certified battery systems. This, along with a lack of public awareness of the safety surrounding lithium batteries, has led to a spate of fires, prompting some cities and municipalities to pass legislation to ensure that the lithium batteries used in a range of consumer products and industrial equipment are safe to operate. Most of this legislation has focused on requiring that battery systems meet all safety standards and relevant certifications, such as UL 2271 for mobility applications and UL 1973 and 9540a for stationary ones.
While UL certification is important, safety is more than just a certification mark; it is the foundation of a good battery system design and is infused into the development process from start to finish. To ensure safety in energy storage systems, multiple layers of protection must be implemented during the design and product development phases, focusing on thermal management, fire suppression, systemic protection, and validation.
At Acculon, we believe in safety beyond standards, focusing on several different safety areas in our battery design and development, creating a framework for our battery modules and packs, and guiding validation and integration at the system level. In essence, we try to ensure that we have multiple layers of protection built into the design, so that each mechanism acts as a failsafe for the others, providing robust security even if one mechanism is compromised. In battery systems design, the most important safety considerations are:
1. Thermal Management
- Ensuring batteries operate within optimal temperature ranges through heating and cooling mechanisms.
- Preventing fire damage by maintaining safe current, voltage, and temperature conditions.
At Acculon, we’re committed to exceeding industry standards, meaning that our battery systems are designed not only to perform but also to safeguard users & equipment under all conditions.
2. Passive Propagation Resistance
- Implementing proper cell spacing to reduce fire propagation risk.
- Utilizing intumescent materials (like foaming) and venting strategies to manage thermal runaway.
- Designing protective enclosures, using materials such as steel, that can contain fire or combustion within the module or pack.
3. Systemic Protection
- Hardware & Software Monitoring: Sensors and monitoring software to track key parameters and trigger corrective actions (including disconnection) if safety limits are exceeded.
- Component-Level Safety Features: Built-in mechanisms in hardware components to detect overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, or short circuits and initiate protective responses. It is worth noting that these hardware limits function in concert with the software limits, serving as an additional protective layer or backstop.
- Fuse Protection: Designing fusing systems that physically disconnect circuits under unsafe conditions, preventing further damage.
- Individual Cell Fusing: Wire bonds act as protective fuses, isolating individual cells that are experiencing damage in the event of overcurrent, allowing the remaining cells to continue to operate.
- Adaptive Limits: Provide real-time current and voltage limits to the application to ensure the battery is operated within its safe operating range.
4) Validation & Certification
- Conducting rigorous testing and certification processes to ensure compliance with industry safety standards.
- Verifying reliability under real-world conditions to enhance system safety and performance.
As battery technology continues to evolve, ensuring safety will have to be a top priority. By integrating advanced thermal management, fire suppression strategies, systemic protection, and thorough validation processes, we at Acculon are dedicated to providing reliable and secure energy solutions for a range of commercial and industrial applications. Our commitment to exceeding industry standards means that our battery systems are designed not only to perform but also to safeguard users and equipment under all conditions.
Through innovation and rigorous testing, we are shaping the future of battery safety!
Explore our battery products below!
core
Our CORE Products are modules available in 24V and 48V products.
They are a “white label” option and offer OEMS convenience and versatility without sacrificing safety or speed to market.
