Energy Storage Systems / BESS
Protection of Battery Energy Storage Systems
For BESS in Containers and buildings
Fires of batteries are different to any other fires. Thus such fires must be treated in a specific way. Traditional safety concepts will not provide adequate and safe protection.
“H3” FOGTEC’s LiSa (Lithium Ion Battery Safety) concept
The fundamental difference with batteries are the off gases produced by the thermal runaway of one or more battery cells. These gases are toxic, corrosive, flammable and explosive. FOGTEC’s protection concept for BESS foresees the use of highly sensitive FOGTEC LiSaPro-Sens sensors detecting in most cases off gases at an early phase even before a fire or an explosion has occurred. This allows the control unit to stop any charging or operation of the BESS to slow down or prevent the thermal runway.
Following the detection of off gases the room in which the BESS is located will ventilated through specially designed LiSaPro ventilation devices, which can be of active or passive type. This step is adamant to prevent the build-up of highly explosive off gas clouds.
LiSaPro Cool water mist nozzles will be activated after smoke or heat, indicating a fire, have been detected. Specially designed FOGTEC water mist nozzles create a specific droplet size distribution to rapidly absorb major parts of the heat, to suppress the fire and to wash out toxic and corrosive parts of the smoke and off gases.
less water compared to traditional systems
BESS containers with one FOGTEC pump system
FAQ – Fire Protection in Energy Storage Systems / BESS
1. Why is gas detection so essential?
In many cases off gases are occurring substantially earlier than a fire in a BESS. Off gas detection often allows to act quickly and to avoid the worst.
2. Why not using a “dry” gas or aerosol system for fire suppression?
E.g. Nitrogen or chemical gases do not allow to substantially ventilate the protected space. Thus, clouds of highly explosive off gases will be the result.
Additionally FOGTEC water mist is heaving a much higher cooling effect.
3. Why is the smoke washing effect of FOGTEC water mist so important?
Off gases and the smoke of BESS fires contain substantial amounts of hydrogen fluoride, heavy metals and acids.
Any reduction in these can drastically reduce the risk for people and the damage to property.4. Can water mist also be applied to protect other parts of a building or container with BESS?
FOGTEC water mist can ideally be used to protect a large number of other areas such as electrical devices, data centres,
transformers, storage areas etc. See for details.
