Abstract
The surge in the application of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in energy backup systems has been filled with increasing cases of fire incidents; most of them being a result of thermal runaway, manufacturing flaws, and poor heat management. This study discusses the key sources of Li-ion battery fires, the effectiveness of the existing suppression strategies, and the suggestions to enhance safety in practice. The research took a mixed-method design that comprised a quantitative DEMATEL analysis, a survey of operational practice and a qualitative thematic analysis of expert interviews.
The DEMATEL findings indicate that emergency response planning, ventilation systems, and training and education programs have the most impact on fire safety performance. The survey results demonstrate that the implementation of preventive measures is unevenly distributed among the facilities, and there is still a predominance of reactive over proactive strategies of suppression. Thematic insights also elaborate that the cause of these disparities is lack of proper technical training, lack of standardization of installations, and lack of locally applied regulatory guidelines.
The study concludes that ventilation design, competence of the operators, and regulatory alignment are key factors to reduce the risk of Li-ion battery fire. It suggests that the standardized national guidance on the installation, maintenance, and emergency management of Li-ion battery systems should be developed to ensure that the safety practices are standard in various contexts of operation. The results provide both practical and theoretical suggestions concerning the safer application of battery-based energy storage systems and can be considered the foundation of the subsequent research on the more effective suppression technologies and the local requirements of safety.