Mining Contract: High Energy Battery Thermal Runaway Alleviation Protection (TRAP) Flame Arrestor for Mine Safety

Contract Status & Impact

This contract is complete. To receive a copy of the final report, send a request to mining@cdc.gov.

The amount of free space available in conventional explosion-proof (XP) enclosures approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) may not be significantly voluminous to mitigate the pressure generated during an LIB thermal runaway event. This represents an acute safety concern for the mining industry, especially considering the incorporation of LIBs in conjunction with the recent emphasis to electrify mining equipment to improve safety, environmental footprint, and efficiency.

Under this contract, ADA Technologies will leverage its extensive experience with LIB failure as well as the early-stage development of an LIB cell-specific flame arrestor to design and implement a purpose-built flame arrestor for use in XP enclosures for applications in gassy mines. ADA recently developed an LIB safety enclosure for the Navy, performing extensive testing and modeling of the pressure spikes and explosive gas mixtures generated when an LIB fails in a sealed enclosure. Additionally, ADA is well versed in mechanical system design and the chemical engineering principles of heat exchange and gas transport, making ADA an ideal partner to successfully execute this research.

The thermal runaway alleviation protection (TRAP) arrestor developed under this contract will be composed of:

1. an XP-rated flange or joint to contain the arrestor components
2. a primary burst disc
3. flame arrestor elements
4. a secondary burst disc
5. baffles to support the flame arrestor elements
6. a pressure-rated housing to contain the flame arrestor elements

By combining these elements into a flame arrestor system compliant with 30 CFR Part 18, ADA will design and develop a flame arrestor specifically for lithium-ion battery thermal runaway events for underground gassy mine applications. ADA will leverage the extensive experience of its key personnel and project partners in performing and quantifying LIB failure events, in particular the pressure spikes associated with failure events in sealed enclosures as well as mitigation of thermal runaway propagation.