Preventing lithium-ion (li-ion) cell fire with an embedded extinguisher

• Main Author: Muhammad Azrie Bin Razale
• Other Authors: Chan Wai Lee
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Engineering; Fire; Lithium-ion; Extinguisher; Prevention
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/177527
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The evolution of our dynamic world has led to global industries seeking to reduce climate change and to produce more sustainable products that will reduce global warming. The renewable-generated energy storage and electrification of automotive mobility have led to an increase in rapid demand and growth for the lithium-ion battery (LIB) market. Worldwide demand for LIBs is expected in increase exponentially by 2030, where the amount of lithiumion battery capacity required is forecasted to grow to 6.5 TWh globally. As a result, this led to the popularisation of personal mobility devices (PMD) and power-assisted bicycles (PAB), which operate on LIBs. In the local context, many Singaporeans have purchased their own PMDs and PABs as they are very budget-friendly modes of personal transportation. Additionally, the food delivery market has benefitted greatly from the introduction of these devices. The increased popularity of these devices led to the average consumer possibly purchasing cheaper batteries and chargers for their devices. Coupled with the lack of knowledge and guidance on charging their devices, this inadvertently led to an increasing number of fires involving PMDs and PABs. These fires are particularly deadly and have caused much damage to life and property. Many measures such as advising the public to be more vigilant will work, but it can only go so far. Studying the effects of LIBs and eventually implementing a safety measure to prevent the LIB from causing more damage would prove to be vital for the future users. To this end, the use of a cell fire extinguisher (CFE) was evaluated and implemented in smaller-scaled setups before they can be considered to be installed into PMDs and PABs. The progress of this project will lead to future innovations that can help to prevent battery fires from happening catastrophically.