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Fireproofing Battery Container

Tulex

Tulex

Solar Wizard
Joined
Mar 30, 2023
Messages
1,057
Location
Finger Lakes NY
After reading 20 pages of "house burned down", I'm not as secure about having my batteries in my living space as I would like to be. Fire inspector said the cause was a fuse arcing after blowing, I say that it more likely the probable cause, not definitive. I have class T fuses on each battery, still not 100% comfortable.

That being said, I'm thinking of redoing my batteries. This is a thread with my batteries. I think I did a clean job, only concern is the cells on their sides, which Eve says is OK. They are in closed electrical cabinets, but don't think that's enough. Moving the batteries out of the house isn't really what I want to do, but I would like to make them safer in the house.

So I'm looking for some info. Do these batteries burn so hot that it can't be contained? Say they were in a cabinet lined with some type of fire resistant material, would that be enough? If so, how long would the fire have to be contained? Looking for thoughts on what's possible. I have 3 batteries, but about to build 3 more. I've seen builds in large cabinets that are quite nice, so wouldn't be opposed to starting over.

I think there is less that a one percent chance that my batteries will ever cause a fire. But I've seen Dumb and Dumber, there's still a chance.
 
NMC might burn through a cabinet, but these things don't seem to. Looking at the video of a burning LFP battery it didn't burn through its casing really.

Since yours are in steel cabinets, I think you're solid already.

The only thing I personally don't like is the cells on their sides. I know I know, others do it, it is supposedly OK, blah blah... I don't like it because of the stress on the lower cell.

Your build is making me consider that as an option for my cells now. Maybe cheaper (though not necessarily easier) than using a Luyuan box.
 
SparkyJJO said:
NMC might burn through a cabinet, but these things don't seem to. Looking at the video of a burning LFP battery it didn't burn through its casing really.

Since yours are in steel cabinets, I think you're solid already.

The only thing I personally don't like is the cells on their sides. I know I know, others do it, it is supposedly OK, blah blah... I don't like it because of the stress on the lower cell.

Your build is making me consider that as an option for my cells now. Maybe cheaper (though not necessarily easier) than using a Luyuan box.
Click to expand...
My concern is that the box will get hot enough to ignite anything next to it.
And while I've read over and over that cells on their sides are ok, there's just enough concern to make me rethink it.
 
Lay it down on a metal shelf bolted to a concrete block wall. Even if it burns, it won't burn your block or the shelf.

Originally, my cells were going in wooden boxes (I had the material already) on metal shelves on my cinder block wall. I'm just trying to get rid of the wood now and enclose things a little better.
 
SparkyJJO said:
Lay it down on a metal shelf bolted to a concrete block wall. Even if it burns, it won't burn your block or the shelf.

Originally, my cells were going in wooden boxes (I had the material already) on metal shelves on my cinder block wall. I'm just trying to get rid of the wood now and enclose things a little better.
Click to expand...
My house has no basement, so my inverter and batteries are in a small utility room with wood walls. I have limited space, so don't even have room to lay these down. The three batteries I have now just fit under the inverter/main panel. The other 3 will just fit against the wall 90 deg to those. Or, I have room on one wall to put a tall rack to house all the cells in one cabinet.
 
Great thread, I look forward to seeing everyone's ideas.

Whatever you look at as an enclosure, fire proof or fire resistant will always be based on a time frame. Most building coded materials like drywall and cement board have a time rating to be fire resistant (installed vertically and horizontal also matters). Even my "fireproof" gun safe that weighs 1000 lbs empty and is 3" thick is only rated at 30 minutes.

How fast does the fire department react in your area?

Do you have the means to extinguish a fire yourself with the proper extinguisher?

I believe you are going to need to find a healthy balance of safe, economical, and practical. If the goal is to have enough time and warning to get the family out, I think a semi-sealed metal case would suffice. Could probably be fabricated locally at your neighborhood welding shop. The commercially available battery enclosures seem to be too thin, like a file cabinet. The heat would distort them and likely collapse in a real fire making matters worse.

If you want some type of Kiln-like box for the batteries where its no-factor if they go up in flames, I think the answer will be concrete. Lots of concrete. May even want to address some type of exhaust for the smoke, fumes, and gases.... if going that far.
 
Good topic.

Not to be a downer. But we don’t know a fair amount of info.

Fire in place is one thing. If everything in the metal box burned until there was no more fuel, and the panels kept supplying power, would the fire stay in the box?

The other element is explosive/flamable gas in a confined space. From a fire starting with the batteries. And from fire starting somewhere else and burning the batteries.

Fire resistant cabinets are easier. Gas is harder but we have a lot of experience with lead/acid venting hydrogen that are informative.
 
I’ve got one of these with three EG4-LL v1s inside (48V, 100 Ah each).
I’m going to add a 125A Class T fuse to each one, even though they each have a Chint 125A breaker.
I’ve already got a 300A main Class T on the busbar.

Notice that the rack is ventilated in front and back.

This is stored in a utility closet.
The subfloor below is 3/4” plywood, so my first step will be to put fire brick on the floor to protect it.
Around it is drywall, and i’m considering putting cement board over the drywall.
Not sure what to put above it yet, welding blankets or silicone-fiberglass mats maybe?

I already have an ionizing smoke alarm directly above it, and a regular ABC fire extinguisher nearby (not sure it will work well on Lithium fire).
I’ve considered moving it outside into a pit with cinderblock walls, but then it will need heating/cooling.

Any suggestions?
IMG_6663.jpeg
 
I’m looking at cement board, gypsum, mineral wool board, fiberglass “fire” blankets, and carbon felt.

Though I don’t know if carbon felt is electrically conductive in a way that would matter.

Seems to me that cheap, easily shaped, and light would be the things to look for.

My “fireproof” file cabinet is lined with a couple of inches of gypsum. Easy to stack pieces of 5/8 fireguard gypsum.
 
A few fireballs above wouldn’t hurt. Edit-Ruff beat me to it.

I’m going to put a Home Depot bag of sand on top of my little 12 volt battery.
 
Considering the batteries a source of flammable gas, how about:

1) Line closet with a second layer of sheetrock, or one of the more fire resistant materials. (Our condo has 2 layers sheetrock between units.)
2) Install a fire-resistant door. Door between garage and living area provides extra protection and is gasketed. Commercial fire resistant doors are rated higher.
3) Vent to outside (line or otherwise prevent fire from getting inside wall.)
4) Sprinkler, even just showerhead inside, manual faucet knob outside.
5) Fire alarm linked to those in dwelling.
 
If it’s in a closet, store a few cases of carbonated water on the top shelf.
 
Bluedog225 said:
If it’s in a closet, store a few cases of carbonated water on the top shelf.
Click to expand...
Why? Water is not going to do anything on a battery or electrical fire.

Maybe a giant case of baking soda already opened and on the verge of collapse would be useful.
 
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