BATTERY FIRE SAFETY

Professor Guillermo Rein of Imperial College London today gave the members of OPERA an education in the “Science and Technology of Battery Fire Safety”. Although we generally think of Lithium Ion batteries as being safer than lead-acid batteries, which can emit hydrogen, they can nonetheless result in serious fires. Apart from the risk of fire resulting from electrical, mechanical and thermal abuse and from defects, spontaneous ignition is possible from self-heating even at low ambient temperatures. Something to be aware of in many facilities given the increasing use of this technology.