Working Package 2: Analysis and Description of Failure Scenarios

Aims:
  • Analysis of potential hazards in the battery and cell manufacturing environment
  • Identification of impacts on people, property and finances (failure scenarios)
Results:
  • Internal report and overview of possible failure scenarios in the battery and cell manufacturing environment and the production chain connected to it
  • Definition and selection of specific failure scenarios as a basis for the development of solution concepts in WP 4
Insights into the results:

Real incidents were analysed for the development of the failure scenarios.

Selected examples of incidents

Production

Garching near Munich, February 2019: Fire in a battery factory; 600 kg of batteries caught fire; cause of fire was a fire in a LIB during dielectric strength testing; 118 firefighters in action; Link

Bad Tölz, June 2023: Fire during testing of a high-voltage battery for electric vehicles, controlled burning of a single battery; around 100 firefighters deployed; damage in the millions, considerable building damage; Link

Storage

Krefeld, December 2023: more than 1000 electric scooters caught fire in a warehouse; collapse of the hall; LIB parts flew through the air right onto the street; 190 emergency services; Link

Offenbach, August 2023: storage fire on the outdoor premises of a recycling company; 70 tonnes of LIB were on fire; 350 emergency services; Link

Obermühlhausen, January 2023: a warehouse for e-bikes burnt down; one million euros damage; 100 firefighters; Link

Examples of fire causes

Cell production

  • Elevated temperatures, solvent vapours, heated rollers during electrode production
  • Flammable dusts, faults such as damage to the separator, energy input from welding processes, flammable electrolyte during cell assembly
  • Electrochemical hazards during formation
  • During aging: danger from defect cells that have not already become conspicuous during formation

Module and pack production

  • Risk of short circuit if cells and modules are handled incorrectly
  • Solvent vapours when connecting the cells by gluing
  • Heat input during electrical contacting of the cells, e.g. through welding
  • BMS assembly: risk of short circuit due to incorrect positioning
  • Exposure to heat during the charging process
  • Testing: effects of errors in previous production steps
  • Mechanical effects or unsuitable conditions during interim storage

Storage

  • Production errors that lead to spontaneous combustion of LIBs
  • Mechanical damage to LIBs caused by forklift trucks or automated storage systems
  • Thermal damage due to unsuitable storage conditions such as direct sunlight, cold or heat
Aims:
  • Highlighting and identifying safety-critical areas and conditions within various battery systems
Results:
  • Definition of major fire detection parameters in a battery fire
  • Selection of chemical and physical parameters for fire fighting
  • Definition and selection of specific failure scenarios for the development of solution concepts in WP 4
Insights into the results

Various impacts – electrical, mechanical, thermal or age-related – can lead to thermal runaway of the battery.

Aims:
  • Analysis of the effects of a battery fire in devices, vehicles or in stationary battery storage systems
Results:
  • Internal report and overview of possible failure scenarios on device and vehicle level as well as in large-scale energy storage systems
  • Definition and selection of specific failure scenarios for the development of solution concepts in WP 4
Insights into the results:

Real incidents were analysed for the development of the failure scenarios.

Selected examples of incidents

Vehicles

North Sea, August 2023: fire on the freighter “Fremantle Highway” lasted for days; cause of fire was a LIB of an electric car; one crew member dead; Link

Munich, November 2023: Fire of an electric car (Jaguar) at a charging station in a public underground car park; 29 other damaged vehicles; Link

Stationary energy storage systems (ESS)

Liverpool, UK, September 2020: 20 MW ESS; fire and explosion; Link

Arizona, USA, April 2019: explosion/fire damage; eight injured firefighters; 20 MW system consisting of three modular battery containers and one switchgear container; NMC Pouch cells; Link

Peking, China, April 2021: 25 MWh ESS; Lithium iron phosphate LIB; suspected cause: wear and tear; two dead firefighters; Link

Examples of fire causes

Vehicles:

  • Damage to the battery due to accidents
  • Stress due to excessively high or low temperatures
  • Fault in the battery management system
  • Production errors in the battery
  • Errors during the charging process (e.g. damage to the LIB due to overcharging)

ESS:

  • Thermal runaway of the battery, e.g. due to production errors or a failure of the battery management system
  • Fault in electrical components, e.g. overloading of inverters
  • External fire event that leads to a critical temperature increase in the ESS
Aims:
  • Analysis of possible hazards due to battery fires in the environment of lithium-ion battery recycling
  • Identification of effects on persons, property and finances (failure scenarios)
Results:
  • Internal report and overview of possible failure scenarios in the recycling of batteries
  • Definition and selection of specific failure scenarios as a basis for the development of safety concepts in WP 4
Insights into the results:

Real incidents were analysed for the development of the failure scenarios.

Selected examples of incidents

Ningxiang, China, January 2021: explosion in a battery recycling plant; 1 dead, 20 injured; 288 firefighters and soldiers deployed; Link

Offenbach, DE, Mai 2019: fire in the production hall of a battery recycling company; 100 firefighters in action; Link

Maxhütte-Haidof, DE, June 2023: fire with deflagration in a warehouse for, among other things, batteries at an electrical and battery recycling company; damage in the millions; 220 firefighters in action; Link

Examples of fire causes

  • Ignition of pre-damaged batteries during storage
  • Mechanical impact during disassembly
  • Cells with open connection contacts that can lead to short circuits