Experimental study on the combustion characteristics of primary lithium batteries fire

Abstract. The use of lithium batteries requires understanding their fire and explosion hazards. In this paper, a report is given on an experimental study of the combustion characteristics of primary lithium batteries. Burning tests of single and bundles of primary lithium batteries were conducted in a calorimeter to measure their heat release rates when exposed to an irradiance of 20 kW m-2. Several variables including time to ignition, mass loss, heat release rate and plume temperature were measured to evaluate the ignition and combustion characteristics. The burning batteries were observed to have flame temperatures in excess of 1,200_C and to release corrosive compounds. The experimental results show that the combustion efficiency, carbon dioxide yield and mass loss are proportional to the number of batteries in the bundle. The total heat released by battery bundles was deduced empirically to be proportional to the number of batteries with a power of 1.26. The results provide experimental basis for the development of fire protection measures during the use, storage and distribution of primary lithium batteries.