Lithium-ion batteries are dangerous: time and again, cells suddenly catch fire. This is a new phenomenon in the field of energy storage, because unlike the “classic” battery types with water-based electrolytes, they use organic solvents – i.e. hydrocarbons – which are almost as flammable as petrol. Electric buses, electric cars and electric construction machinery have already gone up in flames. But not only rechargeable batteries are affected, non-rechargeable primary cells can also catch fire.

To prevent such cases, intensive research is now being carried out at POWERTECH International! It is not only the fires that break out on their own that are the subject of meticulous investigations. Instead, deliberately created fires are also investigated under controlled conditions in a secure environment in order to study the individual processes and the success of different extinguishing methods. The tests carried out in the test laboratories are deliberately designed to be difficult.

The energy stored in lithium systems of all kinds can vary greatly in size: from just a few watt hours in smartphones to a few kilowatt hours in electric cars to many megawatt hours in storage systems to support the power grid. However, it should be borne in mind that even a very small cell that catches fire can trigger a large fire.