Assault with a Battery

Let’s face it, as municipalities pass ordinances mandating solar panels in all new construction (like Los Angeles), as pressures increase to counter the growing devastation from man-released greenhouse gasses that are rapidly heating up the planet, with more electric cars, as green energy demands viable storage systems, there are huge engineering safety questions that need to be addressed. Most of these systems are lithium-ion based. Clearly, using lithium, a rare earth that requires environmentally-challenging mining and extraction, is both an expensive and unsustainable basis for continued battery manufacturing growth. There’s not enough of it; most of the known lithium deposits are outside the United States with serious political and military overtones.

There are also safety risks. For example, “Physics researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have discovered that most of the electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries—commonly found in consumer electronic devices—are superhalogens, and that the vast majority of these electrolytes contain toxic halogens.” phys.org/news (10/24/14) Manufacturing processes can be refined to limit such toxicity, but with batteries being imported from all over the world, universal standards and manufacturing quality controls become increasingly critical. There are new battery systems being developed with different metals (non-lithium-based,  e.g., aluminum), but many of the same kinds of toxicity and fire issues discussed below also apply to this next generation of batteries.

There is the much-publicized risk of explosions and fire. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones are a prime example, but Samsung is hardly the only user of lithium-ion consumer devices facing this issue. Updating a September 2016 article, CNET (January 2017) explains: “After 35 reported incidents of overheating smartphones worldwide, Samsung made the unprecedented decision to recall every single one of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold. That's said to be 1 million of the 2.5 million that were manufactured. (Since the recall was first announced, the number of explosive Note 7s has nearly quadrupled.)

“The company stopped all sales and shipments of the Note 7, worked with government agencies and cellular carriers around the world to provide refunds and exchanges for the phone, and apparently it still wasn't enough: as of October 10, 2016, as many as five of the supposedly safe replacement Note 7 phones caught fire as well, and Samsung asked all users to shut down their phones. On October 13, Samsung officially recalled every single Note 7, including replacement units…

“The science behind phone battery fires is actually pretty simple, and fairly well understood. Much like the infamous exploding hoverboards, phones use lithium ion battery packs for their power, and it just so happens that the liquid swimming around inside most lithium ion batteries is highly flammable.

“If the battery short-circuits -- say, by puncturing the incredibly thin sheet of plastic separating the positive and negative sides of the battery -- the puncture point becomes the path of least resistance for electricity to flow… It heats up the (flammable!) liquid electrolyte at that spot. And if the liquid heats up quickly enough, the battery can explode.”

Generally, even disposing of devices with such Li-ion batteries carries a risk of fire: “It is especially risky when Li-ion batteries are mistakenly put into a recycling bin and end up bouncing around in the back of a dry, recycling truck. Pressure or heat (in the summer months our trucks can get quite hot) can cause them to spark, setting off a chain reaction which spells disaster when that battery is in the back of a full recycling truck, surrounded by dry paper and cardboard. In fact, Lithium Ion Batteries are one of the leading causes of recycling truck fires.” AmericanDisposalServices.com.

OK, we get the risks of smaller consumer devices, but today, electric cars and residential and business use these battery arrays to capture wind- and solar-generated electricity (and even from traditional power systems). These batteries are (a) large and (b) increasingly ubiquitous. Clearly, larger battery configurations create an explosive and fire risk that is proportionately bigger. The underlying issues are vexing city planners and fire departments alike.

Car fires are one risk, but the few Li-ion-based cars that do catch fire are usually out in the open. Vehicle car fires are rare (see above), but the resulting fires are intense and scary. Usually, there is enough time for the driver and passenger to exit the vehicle… unless they are incapacitated because of a crash. But should a battery in a business or residential structure explode/catch fire, the risks are much worse.

“The new era of big batteries has already drawn scrutiny after fiery electric-car crashes across America and Europe. Now, U.S. city planners are worried about the same risk of hard-to-control blazes as these power-storage units make their way into basements and onto rooftops… ‘You can have these things go on fire, and then hours or days later, they can reignite,’ presenting a new challenge for first responders, said Paul Rogers, who led New York City’s effort to establish battery safety standards until he retired as a lieutenant with the Fire Department this year. Firefighters — ‘if they act inappropriately — they could get killed,’ he said.

“Improvements in energy storage are revolutionizing how and when electricity is used. Batteries now fuel such diverse machines as smartphones and the electric cars proliferating around the world. In the latest trend, racks of batteries stacked up to the size of studio apartments are being installed in urban spaces such as office buildings and shopping malls.

“The units enable buyers to tap into lower-cost and renewable energy and supply backup power during widespread outages… But the same chemistry that makes lithium-ion batteries so effective also poses a hazard. Although fires are rare, an overheating unit can ignite… And although water can put out a battery blaze, it takes a lot more water than for other kinds of fires. A few high-profile fires involving mobile phones, laptops, electric cars and even jumbo jets have some city officials calling for more caution and clearer standards before storage units end up in buildings.

“An effort by New York to review the safety of these battery systems has already limited their deployment, according to the research group Electric Power Research Institute. No lithium-ion battery systems have been installed inside a building there, though there have been four approved for outdoor spaces, New York utility Consolidated Edison Inc. said.

“New York’s Fire Department says it isn’t deliberately slowing installations. The agency just wants to ensure ‘these installations meet appropriate safety standards,’ said Ronald Spadafora, the department’s chief of fire prevention… The way Rogers puts it: ‘A lot of code officials, they don’t know what to do with’ the lithium-ion batteries…

“Lithium-ion batteries have gotten a lot cheaper — dropping almost 80% in price since 2010 — as demand has increased for electric cars. That has increased the appeal for utilities to integrate batteries that can store the intermittent energy produced by wind and solar farms. Commercial building owners can deploy batteries to buy energy when it’s cheap, then use it to power air conditioners and lights during hot summer days when electricity prices surge…

”In San Francisco, the Fire Department says lithium-ion batteries in buildings with capacities larger than 20 kilowatt-hours must comply with city and California fire codes for stationary battery systems. Rules include placing the batteries in separate rooms with automatic sprinklers, ventilation and smoke detection systems.

“New York has been more cautious in greenlighting installations, partly because the nation’s largest city is so densely urban. The Fire Department said it has taken time to develop its own guidelines to allow researchers to conduct tests that would help determine appropriate safety measures.” Los Angeles Times (Bloomberg), May 19^th. New York should have its full guidelines ready by the end of the year, and because of its high density urban living emphasis, it is widely believed that the NYC standards will be adopted nationwide.

What does any of this mean for ordinary residents? Be aware when battery power, especially the new generations of Li-ion and beyond, is part of any device you use, any car you drive or are in and any structure you will spend time in. Ask questions about fire and toxicity prevention, making sure someone actually took these risk factors into consideration.

I’m Peter Dekom, and as we change our power sources and engage in power storage, we each must take some personal responsibility to know the issues and takes steps to mitigate risks.