Recent industry experience indicates that lithium-ion battery (LIB) safety starts with a holistic systems-level approach to design, manufacturing, and test requirements implementation. These lessons learned serve to reinforce that execution of safe-by-design principles are key to certifying and fielding a safe and reliable LIB power system.
Recent safety incidents involving LG Chem-battery based grid-scale energy storage systems (ESS) in South Korea, and more recently in Surprise, Arizona, underscore that safe implementation of LIB technologies into emerging markets remains at risk. Various risk factors such as requirements gaps, insufficient qualification testing, and poor utilization of battery managements systems have contributed to early catastrophic failure of fielded ESS’s.
The consequences of a catastrophic LIB failure in residential ESS applications further increases the need for accelerating public safety awareness of emerging energy storage technologies.
The 235th meeting (26-30 May, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA) of The Electrochemical Society symposium on Battery Safety and Failure Modes seeks to provide a venue for real-time learning and collaboration between academia and industry partners to further a better understanding of LIB safety. A special emphasis on characterizing lithium-ion cell technologies with advanced calorimetry techniques using accelerating rate calorimetry highlights the Thermal Hazard Technology-sponsored symposium.
Special topics include mechanisms of LIB thermal runaway, fast-charging protocols, and novel materials for safe cell designs. Internationally recognized subject matter experts in safe LIB design and test techniques from a wide variety of academic institutions (Tsinghua Univ., Colorado School of Mines, Purdue Univ., Univ. College London, and Johns Hopkins Univ. APL), national laboratories (Sandia, Brookhaven, Argonne, and Idaho Nat’l Laboratories), and industry (Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, NASA, Exponent, Underwriters Laboratories, and the US Naval Research Laboratory) will be contributing.