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Experimental Study on Suppression of Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Fires

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Abstract

Lithium-ion battery applications are increasing for battery-powered vehicles because of their high energy density and expected long cycle life. With the development of battery-powered vehicles, fire and explosion hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries are a safety issue that needs to be addressed. Lithium-ion batteries can go through a thermal runaway under different abuse conditions including thermal abuse, mechanical abuse, and electrical abuse, leading to a fire or explosion. The NIOSH Mining program is conducting research to prevent and respond to lithium-ion battery fires for battery electric vehicles in the mining industry. In this study, experiments were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of different suppression systems including dry chemical, class D powder, and water mist for lithium iron phosphate battery pack fires. The effects of activation time and release time of the water mist system on the suppression of lithium-ion battery fires were studied. The results of this study may be helpful for developing strategic firefighting and response plans for battery-powered vehicles used in mining.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pittsburgh Mining Research Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15236, USA

    Liming Yuan, Wei Tang, Richard A. Thomas & John Soles

Authors
  1. Liming Yuan
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  2. Wei Tang
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  3. Richard A. Thomas
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  4. John Soles
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Correspondence to Liming Yuan.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH.

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Yuan, L., Tang, W., Thomas, R.A. et al. Experimental Study on Suppression of Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Fires. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 41, 637–645 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-024-00938-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-024-00938-y

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