title: Further study of the intrinsic safety of internally shorted lithium and lithium-ion cells within methane-air.
abstract: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers continue to study the potential for lithium and lithium-ion battery thermal runaway from an internal short circuit in equipment for use in underground coal mines. Researchers conducted cell crush tests using a plastic wedge within a 20-L explosion-containment chamber filled with 6.5% CH4-air to simulate the mining hazard. The present work extends earlier findings to include a study of LiFePO4cells crushed while under charge, prismatic form factor LiCoO2cells, primary spiral-wound constructed LiMnO2cells, and crush speed influence on thermal runaway susceptibility. The plastic wedge crush was a more severe test than the flat plate crush with a prismatic format cell. Test results indicate that prismatic Saft MP 174565 LiCoO2and primary spiral-wound Saft FRIWO M52EX LiMnO2cells pose a CH4-air ignition hazard from internal short circuit. Under specified test conditions, A123 systems ANR26650M1A LiFePO4cylindrical cells produced no chamber ignitions while under a charge of up to 5 A. Common spiral-wound cell separators are too thin to meet intrinsic safety standards provisions for distance through solid insulation, suggesting that a hard internal short circuit within these cells should be considered for intrinsic safety evaluation purposes, even as a non-countable fault. Observed flames from a LiMnO2spiral-wound cell after a chamber ignition within an inert atmosphere indicate a sustained exothermic reaction within the cell. The influence of crush speed on ignitions under specified test conditions was not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, P.O. Box 18070, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Dubaniewicz
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, P.O. Box 18070, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: DuCarme
keywords: Batteries; Explosion protection; Fires; Hazardous areas; Intrinsic safety; Lithium-ion; Mining industry; Standardization