Lithium-ion batteries – Fire and hazard prevention

Status:

ongoing

Aims:

The research project aims to provide fire department emergency services, those involved in the proper disposal of the battery and repair of the accident environment as well as other groups of people in production, logistics and storage with improved information on the complex behavior of batteries in the event of an accident. Raising the awareness of the DGUV's insurance carriers for potential risks when handling lithium-ion batteries during and after an accident serves to minimize or prevent hazards. A scientifically sound, standardized approach to the operation reduces the health risk of those involved, so that an overly cautious deployment strategy and consequently the resulting delay in rescuing people and securing property can be counteracted.

Activities/Methods:

The Center of Electrical Energy Storage (EST) is responsible for project management and overall coordination. In addition to investigating the exposure to pollutants in the event of an accident and the associated contamination of the accident site, the project partners would like to explicitly address the communication of the current lack of knowledge related to lithium-ion batteries in order to raise awareness and advise insured persons. The work required to achieve the research objectives is divided into thematically closed (sub-)work packages, the (sub-)results of which are to be presented to interested parties during the course of the project at information events, e.g. a workshop. Thanks to the good networking of the Goslar volunteer fire department with other departments within and outside Lower Saxony, these contacts are to be used to extend the reach of such information events.

In the course of the project, a pollutant exposure test and an extinguishing water contamination test are planned at the EST, in each of which a realistic operational scenario is to be simulated. Based on the experimental studies on exposed accident products and the associated contamination of the test environment, the results are to be further evaluated in order to identify possible health risks and make recommendations for action. These, in turn, can serve as a basis for risk assessments.

In order to enable improved monitoring of released pollutants during use and an assessment of exposure afterwards, measurement principles for relevant gases and particles are to be developed first. The determination of already available mobile and stationary measurement technology should serve to identify possible blind spots in the current analysis options and, on this basis, make manufacturer-neutral recommendations for supplementary measurement technology.

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