It’s one thing to say your Battery Charging Cabinet reduces fire risk, but it’s another thing to prove it with legitimate fire testing. So, to demystify the performance of our Battery Charging Cabinets, we have conducted an experiment that simulates a lithium-ion battery fire within a closed 18-Outlet Battery Charging & Storage Cabinet.
Fire Testing
In conjunction with AMC Fjrefighting Centre, Storemasta has recently conducted a battery cabinet fire test to determine how effective our battery charging cabinet is when faced with a significant lithium-ion battery fire.
Hypothesis:
The Storemasta 500266 Battery Storage and Charging Cabinet will effectively contain the fire and minimise risk by preventing flame spread, containing projectiles and reducing heat exposure to the surrounding environment.
Battery Detonation
To conduct the testing, a battery fire first had to be sparked.
A high-powered drill battery was designated as the battery to be detonated; this was placed on the left of the middle shelf of the cabinet. The 5ah, 90Wh drill battery was chosen to be detonated as it is high-powered and one of the most common types of battery charged in these cabinets.
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The Storemasta 18 Outlet Battery Cabinet prior to the fire testing.
Additional lithium-ion batteries were places throughout the cabinet, near the detonated battery, to allow potential fire propagation:
- Camera battery was place to the immediate left
- 2nd drill battery was placed to the immediate right
- E-bike battery and a drill battery were placed on the shelf above
IMPORTANT: All batteries used in the test were high-powered, fully charged and high-quality batteries which were manufactured by some of the most common brands in their industry. These batteries are also typical of the types charged in Storemasta Storage and Charging Cabinets.
Battery Cabinet Temperature Monitoring
The external cabinet temperature was monitored throughout the test using an infrared thermometer pointed directly at the cabinet at the spot where the fire would have been inside.
Internal cabinet temperature was measured using a custom fire and high-temperature resistant sensor cable. It measured the air temperature at the top middle of the cabinet and the data was stored in a data logger.
Three external and one internal camera recorded the test.
Storemasta Battery Fire Test Timeline
Product: 500266 18-Outlet Battery Charging Cabinet
Test: Drill battery fire
3.17pm: 30.9℃ internal, 25.9℃ external.
3.19pm: Smoke begins to fill the cabinet. Likely smoke from the melting plastic on the stove.
3.20pm: 31.8℃ internal.
3:21pm: Cabinet quite smoky.
3.22pm: Cabinet completely full of smoke and smoke pouring from the extraction vent. 33.2℃ internal.
3.24pm: 34.4℃ internal.
3.25pm: First battery cell ruptured with a small explosion and flame. Internal temperature 46℃ and climbing.
3.26pm: Second cell ruptures. Internal 53℃. Third cell ruptures. Internal temperature rises to 72.5℃.
3.27pm: Fourth cell ruptures. Internal temp 80℃. Fifth cell ruptures. Internal temp 87℃.
3.28pm: The battery has been on fire since the first rupture and continues to burn. 6th, 7th and 8th cells rupture. 97.6℃.
3.29pm: 9th and 10th cells rupture. 117℃.
3.30pm: 113℃ internal. 50℃ external.
3.32pm: Internal temperature 107℃ and dropping. External temperature 56.6℃. Smoke starting to clear.
3.35pm: 101℃ internal.
3.36pm: 98℃ internal.
3.39pm: 91℃ internal. 43.6℃ external.
3.40pm: Test finished. 11 minutes since last cell ruptured.
The battery cabinet after the test was complete.
Battery Cabinet Testing Results
Post-test observations of the cabinet were conducted by fire services and staff to determine cabinet performance and the reactions within the battery fire.
SHRAPNEL: Shrapnel from the battery cell casings was found strewn throughout — showing evidence of projectile hazards.
INTERIOR OF CABINET: The inside of the cabinet was blackened by smoke and soot, but the cabinet was otherwise undamaged.
ADDITIONAL BATTERIES: The fire did not propagate surrounding batteries in this instance.
EXTERIOR OF CABINET: Externally there were signs of smoke staining to the plastic vent cover, and the centre and top of the doors where some smoke leaked out.
INTERNAL CABINET FIRE FOOTAGE: Video and audio recordings captured evidence of the battery fire burning for at least six minutes before the internal camera died.
RUPTURING: The recordings also captured evidence of the battery cell rupturing 10 times.
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There was signs of smoke on the cabinet due to the battery fire testing, but the cabinet proved to successfully contain the fire and projectiles.
In summary, the 18-Outlet Battery Charging Cabinet successfully contained fire, projectile and heat hazards during this fire testing. Obvious signs of cabinet damage include a blackened interior, caused by the battery fire smoke and soot. However, structurally, the cabinet remained intact.
Watch the full video to see how our battery management solution stands up to this lithium-ion battery fire.
Don’t forget that you can also access a free battery safety eBook to learn how to determine the risks that your workplace batteries pose – and the safety measures you can take to control fire and battery hazards.
