Recent safety focused overall analysis, testing and accident reviews towards safer e-mobility and energy storage

Lithium batteries have wide application from electric vehicles (EV) to Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and consumer electronics. Their chemical composition and their behavior under abuse conditions pose a risk for safety and people health. The risk grows with the amounts of active material and flammable electrolyte and hence, with the number of cells which constitute the battery. In order to manage the risk, critical points during the entire life cycle of a lithium battery should be identified. To this aim, both chemical and electric characteristics of cell and battery have to be available. This information can be also useful to improve the acceptability of safety testing. In January 2020, the CNVVF, in cooperation with ENEA, published the first Italian study on the safety of lithium batteries [1]. It focused on the assessment of the risk associated with the storage of innovative storage systems (i.e. lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer, lithium metal), and on the preparation of specific prevention, protection and management measures to reduce fire and explosion risk during their storage. An accidentology analysis and an accident database have been also developed and attached to the report. Moreover, experimental tests were performed on Li-ion cells and batteries by the Italian group in order to investigate their behavior under electrical and thermal abuse conditions, and also to test different fire extinguishing media [2-4]. The main results of the study will be reported in this paper, together with recent parent contribution to better understanding of safety issues pertaining to energy storage for both mobile and stationary application of Li-ion batteries resulting from long term dedicated research and testing [5,6] performed by INERIS . Additionally, INERIS will also report on safety important messages from recent literature review [7,8], and recent testing [9,10] and from standardization activities implemented in the last three years at level of IEC TC120 (electric energy storage systems), in which INERIS holds right from the beginning its WG5 (safety considerations) convenorship and till 6 months, overall TC chairmanship.