Published: 19 May 2021, 07:32
By:
Andy Colthorpe
The system, which enables passive ventilation of gases, is being installed at Arlington Microgrid and Clean Energy Center in Everett, Washington. Image: PNNL.
New technology which can help prevent flammable gas build-up in lithium-ion battery storage systems is being made available for “low-cost, non-exclusive licensing” by the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
PNNL scientists have developed IntelliVent, a deflagration prevention system that can automatically open doors on energy storage cabinet enclosures in the event of thermal runaway in battery cells causing liquid electrolytes to vaporise at high temperatures, releasing toxic and flammable gases.