Fire Resistance Testing Procedures: A Review and Analysis

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have many advantages (e.g., high voltage and long-life cycle) in comparison to other energy storage technologies (e.g., lead acid), resulting in their applicability in a wide variety of structures. Simultaneously, the thermal stability of LIBs is relatively poor and can be damaged by exposure to fire. This paper presents an investigation into a fire resistance safety test for LIBs and the use of thermal sensors to evaluate exposure conditions and estimate the temperatures to which cells are subjected. Temperature distribution data and statistical analysis show significant differences of over 200 ∘C, indicating the stochastic nature of the heating curve despite following the testing procedure requirements. We concluded that the current testing procedure is inadequate for the reliable testing of LIBs, leaving an alarming loophole in the fire safety evaluation. The observed instability is mostly related to wind speed and direction, and fire source size.

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FIRE PERFORMANCE OF COMPOSITE-PANEL SEPARATION WALLS

Applications of Structural Fire Engineering ◽

10.14311/asfe.2015.062 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Miroslav Smolka ◽

Vladimír Mózer ◽

Piotr Tofiło

Keyword(s):

Fire Resistance ◽

Composite Panel ◽

Resistance Testing ◽

Fire Performance ◽

Potential Threat ◽

Smoke Emission ◽

Standard Fire ◽

Fire Resistance Test ◽

Production Period ◽

Separating Element

Composite panel walls with both combustible and non-combustible cores were subjected to fire resistance test to EN 1364-1. The results revealed that the combustible-core panels started emitting smoke on the unexposed side due to the presence of joints between panels. In some cases the smoke emission started early after the start for the fire exposure. The start of the smoke production period appeared to depend on the fixation of the panels to the furnace frame; three or four sides fixed as per EN 1364-1. The amounts of smoke released indicate that although smoke leakage/production criterion is not currently part of the standard fire-resistance testing protocol it should be assessed when construction elements with combustible components are tested. Otherwise such a barrier may not be considered as a smoke-safe separating element, because model FED calculations indicate a potential threat to the occupants on the unexposed side at a certain set of conditions.

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