Standards authority SAE International has released a new standard document, SAE J3235, which aids in mitigating risk for the storage of lithium-ion cells, traction batteries and battery systems intended for use in automotive-type propulsion systems and similar large-format applications.

A need for recommendations on how to store lithium-ion batteries has been identified due to multiple issues involving battery storage, including:

• Hazardous risks associated with electrical and chemical energy contained within the batteries
• General lack of existing industry standards and codes for storage
• Regulations that are in development
• Hazardous events that have occurred in storage facilities

SAE J3235 was developed by both the battery industry and fire and emergency response experts to help raise awareness of the hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries and the steps to take to develop a robust and safe storage plan. The standard also provides an overview of fire suppression and detection technologies to help educate the storage industry about the opportunities available to implement in their facilities.

“There have been several events involving lithium-ion batteries in storage, which have led to the development of new fire codes. These code changes aim to improve the safe storage of lithium-ion batteries but do not provide specific knowledge about the hazards and mitigations available for every situation,” said Ronald M. Butler, CEO of ESSPI (Energy Storage Safety Products International).

Source: SAE International