Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are used all over the world. The power that Li-ion batteries deliver can be easily controlled making them suitable for a wide variety of applications. As such, they are commonly used for tasks such as powering our mobile phones, laptops and tablets, as well as supplying energy to medical equipment, electric vehicles and power tools. They are also used for more power intensive tasks such as providing back-up power for call centres, data centers and a variety of other facilities that require a back-up power solution.
Unfortunately, despite being very popular, Li-ion batteries are extremely volatile. They contain highly flammable electrolytes that, if overcharged, mistreated or damaged, can explode or catch fire. Once one cell in a battery fails it can cause other cells to fail. A single cell failure can pass from cell to cell, battery to battery and rack to rack leaving a wake of destruction in its path.
There are typically four stages to Li-ion cell failure:
- Initiation Abuse Factor
- The cell failure is initiated by some form of electrical, thermal or mechanical abuse.
- Off-Gas Generation
- As the battery begins to fail, electrolytes break down and generate gas that is released from the cell in an off-gas event.
- Smoke Generation
- If no action is taken during the off-gas event, the next stage is smoke generation. This is an indication that the cell has reached the stage of thermal runaway and that the cell is likely to experience rapid disassembly at any moment.
- Fire Generation
- Once smoke generation has begun, the battery is in an extremely vulnerable state and can catch fire or explode at any moment.
As the use of Li-ion batteries increases, more and more technologies are being developed to monitor the condition of the cells in a battery to detect any failures before they reach the point of explosion or fire. One of the most effective Li-ion rack monitors on the market today is the Li-ion Tamer from Xtralis.
Li-ion Tamer
The Li-ion Tamer rack monitoring system provides an extremely early warning of battery failure. It does this by detecting the gas that is released during an off-gas event. This gives the user a chance to investigate, assess and deal with a cell failure before it causes irreversible damage.
The Li-ion Tamer uses sensors to monitor the air inside and around the rack to provide single cell failure detection without electrical or mechanical contact of the cells. Li-ion Tamer battery rack monitoring systems are easy-to-install and are compatible with all forms of Li-ion batteries.
Li-ion Tamer Controller
Li-ion Tamer rack monitor systems are comprised of three key components:
- Li-ion Tamer Controller
- Li-ion Tamer Monitoring Sensors
- Li-ion Tamer Reference Sensors
The Li-ion Tamer controller is the brains of the operation. It is installed in a separate location to the batteries and monitors the signal from the sensors. The Li-ion Tamer Controller aggregates the signal from both the monitoring sensors and reference sensors to provide fast and reliable detection of off-gas events while reducing the risk of false alarm.
Typical Wiring Diagram
The Li-ion Tamer Controller offers plug-and-play installation and has two types of communication protocol; digital outputs and Modbus serial communication. Each protocol reports if a monitoring sensor has been activated and can also report which monitor has triggered the alert. This allows the user to quickly identify which rack has reported the off-gas event.
Up to 12 monitor sensors and 3 reference sensors can be monitored by each Li-ion Tamer Controller.
Why Choose Eurofyre?
- Complete System Supplier
- Eurofyre manufactures and supplies all aspects of fire detection and its associated safety products, including battery rack monitoring systems, and can provide expert advice and consultation.
- Demonstration and Training
- We offer demonstrations and expert training on a range of systems, including Li-ion Tamer rack monitoring systems, in our very own sophisticated training facility.
- After-Sales Support
- Eurofyre offers both on-site and telephone support to assist you in ensuring that your system is fully functional and operating at maximum efficiency. Our after-sales care and support are second to none.
For more information about Li-ion Tamer Rack Monitoring systems, or to discuss any of the other products that Eurofyre has to offer, please feel free to get in touch either by phone on +44 (0) 1329 835 024, by email to [email protected] or via the online enquiry form situated on our contact page.
Don’t forget you can follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook or sign up to our newsletter (in the footer below) to receive all the latest information from Eurofyre.
