Abstract
Lithium-ion batteries can have catastrophic impacts when they enter a thermal runaway event. Currently, when a thermal runaway event occurs, heat is removed from the chemical reaction by quenching the batteries with water from fire sprinklers in the facility whether the batteries are deployed. However, this can cause flooding of the entire building or facility in which the batteries are deployed, e.g., a datacenter that houses expensive servers and other equipment. This disclosure describes a battery energy storage system with a water-submersion safety design. An uninterruptible power supply with battery modules is installed above a quench tank filled with water. A controller coupled to the UPS is configured to sense when a thermal runaway event is occurring. Upon detection, the controller drops the batteries into the quench tank, thereby rapidly dissipating heat. Fire sprinklers in the facility need not be activated, thereby preventing water intrusion. The thermal reaction is handled without flooding the building, while ensuring the safety of occupants and expensive hardware in the datacenter.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
NA, "Battery Energy Storage System with Water Submersion Safety Design", Technical Disclosure Commons, (June 02, 2025)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/8184