DNV-GL Posts January 2018 Rules: Includes Cascading Run Away Containment

DNV-GL , the maritime, oil and gas, and energy industries’ premier classification and technical assurance organization with a purpose to advance safety of life at sea, posted the January 2018 revision of the DNV-GL Battery Power rules, which supersedes the July 2017 edition of DNVGL-RU-SHIP Pt.6 Ch.2. The modified rules cover propulsion, power generation, and auxiliary systems. Of significant importance, the changes include clarification of requirements for safety functions for the battery system. Design principles for battery safety and fire safety in battery spaces related to lithium-ion battery systems are at the core of the requirements.

Section 4.2.2 covers lithium-ion battery runaway propagation testing, including fire, explosion, internal cell failure/thermal runaway, and external heating/fire. The core of the DNVGL design requirements states “a lithium-ion battery module must prevent propagation of a thermal event from cell to cell, or a fire in one cell may spread within the module, but will not propagate to another module”.

PyroPhobic System’s Lithium Prevent™ provides a passive, intumescent, composite thermoplastic design that is proven to contain a runaway event to a single point. It stops a cascading event, including during a delayed lithium-ion battery runaway re-flash. IntuPlas can be injection molded into a prismatic cell carrier or can be made into a module that holds a nest of cylindrical cells. IntuPlas Solutions may replace other types of plastics resulting in a highly specified component that fits within your system. The passive fire barrier system requires no maintenance like an active suppression system and offers a durable module that protects cells from damage throughout the battery’s life cycle. Evaluations by NASA, Penn State University, and Mobile Power Solutions provide interested parties independent test data for review.

PyroPhobic Systems, Ltd. is an innovative material science company with unique, proprietary composite intumescent, fire resistant, thermoplastic technologies to form durable fire resistant battery pack components, and performance packaging solutions.

About the author: Timothy Riley provides PyroPhobic System’s International Business Development since 2008. To learn more about Lithium Prevent please contact triley@pyrophobic.com.