Safety

I. FEATURES OF THE LIFEPO4 BATTERY

  • LiFePO4 (LFP) offers key safety features :

    • LFP's olivine structure has key advantages over the LMO Spinel or the NMC layered structure. It is a more stable structure with protection against over-charging, over-discharging, high temperature, low temperature and thermal runaway.

  • LiFePO4 offers better protection against thermal runaway

    • One of the primary dangers for lithium-ion cells is related to the phenomenon of thermal runaway. This is a heating reaction of a battery in use.

    • Thermal runaway is mainly caused by batteries under adverse conditions, such as overload in high ambient temperatures. The result of a thermal runaway depends on the level of charge and can lead in the worst case to a fire or explosion.

    • But , not all types of Lithium-Ion technology, have the same sensitivity to this phenomenon. Specifically, when the temperature of an NMC the battery exceeds 150 degrees in an abnormal state, the cathode material starts to decompose. The reaction in which the cathode material is decomposed is an exothermic reaction, generating a heat and oxygen, and eventually the battery ignites or explodes.

    • In contrast, LiFePO4 has a stable olivine structure, which does not decompose in the same way at high temperatures and does not cause thermal runaway, thereby providing excellent safety

  • LFP is dendrite resistant

    • Dendrites are appendages that are designed to receive communications from other cells. They resemble a tree-like structure, forming projections that become stimulated by other neurons and conduct the electrochemical charge to the cell body.

    • In some scenarios, they can cause fires and explosions, usually in overcharge or high temperature scenarios.

    • LFP has no dendrites.

II. Battery Management System (BMS)

  • BridgeTek’s BMS achieved the highest safety integrity rating, SIL Level-3

  • BridgeTek’s Smart BMS can improve the performance and safety all battery types, including LFP, NMC, and NCA batteries. 

  • One of the key safety features of BridgeTek’s BMS is that it will detect the presence of combustible gas and quickly stop the operation of the module or battery in which the combustible gas is generated .

  • As the sensor detects combustible gas and shuts down the system, many of the unaffected cells could also become unusable and damaged, resulting in huge losses. It is for this reason that the BridgeTek BMS is built to manage the entire system, not just a single cell.

  • BridgeTek’s BMS takes less than 100ms to detect combustible gas, trigger an alarm, and pinpoint the source of the combustible gas.

  • With the alarm and tracking coordinated, the module, battery pack and rack are quickly separated from the entire system and replaced to prevent fire and explosion, and continue system operation.

Why we’re trusted

We provide products that are rigorously designed for safety and reliability, and tested to the highest standards.  We don’t ship anything that we wouldn’t use in our own homes and maintain the integrity to do the right thing, even when it’s hard.We are a world-class systems integrator that integrates battery cells of any chemistry and from any supplier.