Residents evacuated as 100-ton lithium-ion fire rages for three days, page-5

The last sentence below is the ticking time bomb for all Lithium installations.  With so many cells any one can go increasing the risk of Fire.




The electrodes consist of a collector and an active material applied to it. In between the electrodes is the ion-conducting, typically flammable electrolyte, which acts as a mediator of the processes in the cell, and the separator that ensures the electrical separation of the electrodes.

As Li-ion batteries combine high energy materials with flammable electrolytes, any damage to the separator (caused either mechanically or by high temperatures) will lead to an internal short-circuit with the high probability of thermal runaway. Safety-critical situations are almost inevitable.

6.4 Fire hazard thermal runaway
The filigree design, the ever increasing energy density and aging of the battery are the causes of the danger.