Unscheduled downtime at data centers can cause serious financial, operational and reputational damage. Many operators aim to avoid them altogether, often making UPSs a critical role in the infrastructure. Operators also have to manage the risk of failure and potentially serious danger of the lithium-ion batteries found inside?
The rise of lithium-ion batteries
Uninterruptible power supply systems (UPSs) are key to data center operations yet on-site power remains the most common cause of outages[1] and most downtime incidents are likely preventable. And as the power source, Lithium-ion batteries are steadily superseding their valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) counterparts – and rightly so[2]. Looking at a 10-year period, li-ion batteries cost 31% less than traditional VRLA batteries because of the lower maintenance and replacement costs[3]. They are up to 70% smaller and 60% lighter, and generally work reliably at higher temperatures than VRLA batteries, making them the ideal onsite candidate for UPS application in data centers[4]. On the other hand, the capital expenditure of li-ion batteries is double than VRLA batteries[5], which means that the cost of a potential failure is much higher from day one.
Thermal runaway – the chain reaction of batteries
Another concept managers of data centers must be aware of is thermal runway, essentially a nearly unstoppable chain reaction of defective batteries. Initiated by mechanical or thermal failures – abuse, overcharging or internal short circuit– the battery cell starts to decompose, which increases temperature, which in turn increases the rate of decomposition. The result is a self-feeding heating rate within the cell that increases until the cell loses stability, ruptures, and all remaining thermal and electrochemical energy is released into the surroundings[6], resulting into quickly escalating and catastrophic, often explosive fire, that is extremely hard to extinguish.
The problem with li-ion battery fires
According to a study from the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Firefighter Safety Research Institute, li-ion battery fires present serious challenges:
- Releases explosive gases and vapors during thermal runaway,
- Forms and disperses a vapor cloud, and
- ineffectiveness of fire suppression.
Thermal runaway fires can have grave consequences: toxic gas leaks, fires, explosions – they could bring an entire data center facility to a halt.
Enter the Li-ion Tamer®
„It is nearly impossible to stop an advanced thermal runaway process, and the consequences could be catastrophic” explained Siniša Pintarić, Business Development Manager – Honeywell Fire & PA/VA Solutions. „This is why the goal here is to look for very early signs of battery failure and to be able to stop the process before it becomes a problem.”
Li-ion Tamer® is designed to provide enhanced safety for battery systems and can be installed at a wide range of integration points throughout data centers.
Off-gas begins as gases that are generated inside individual cells due to exothermic reactions which begin to occur as a result of internal problems in the battery or external abuses. The release of these gases is the first stage of a battery failure which can self-propagate until the battery begins to smoke and go into fully developed thermal runaway. The ability to detect the gases provides a signal capable to providing early warning of the eventual cell failure and can enable actions which can help mitigate the effects of the battery failure.
Li-ion Tamer® is designed to detect and protect from individual modules all the way to room level integrated solutions.
Click here to find out more about our solutions for data centers.
[1] https://uptimeinstitute.com/about-ui/press-releases/uptime-institute-11th-annual-global-data-center-survey
[2] https://www.cibsejournal.com/technical/battery-technology-vrla-or-li-ion-batteries/
[3] https://www.se.com/ww/en/work/solutions/system/s1/data-center-and-network-systems/trade-off-tools/lithium-ion-vs-vrla-ups-battery-tco-calculator/, see 10-Year TCO Breakdown
[4] https://datacenterfrontier.com/lithium-ion-batteries-offer-new-alternative-data-center-backup-power/
[5] https://www.se.com/ww/en/work/solutions/system/s1/data-center-and-network-systems/trade-off-tools/lithium-ion-vs-vrla-ups-battery-tco-calculator/, see 10-Year TCO Breakdown / Capex segment
[6] https://www.batterypoweronline.com/news/thermal-runaway-understanding-the-fundamentals-to-ensure-safer-batteries/
