Identification of Fire Safety of Current and Emerging Battery Technology for Marine Operations
The interest in using batteries as the sole or complementary energy source for offshore vessels has never been higher. Concerns about thermal runaway events and fire risk in the marine industry are being worked on at the Laboratory of Ocean Innovation, a collaboration between ABS and Texas A&M. Researchers are focusing on Sodium-Ion, Lithium Sulfur, Redox, Metal-Air, and Li-Metal, considering battery size (energy density, capacity), state of charge (40%, 50%, 75%, 100% and overcharged) during normal operations and thermal runaway. The study also considers the type and volume of off-gas and toxicity, and the thermal runway temperature profile.
Fire suppression technologies are a big focus area. The study identifies the fire suppression agents and systems with a focus on the nuances of the marine environment that may impact batteries and their safety.
Drs. Harini Gunda, Faisal Khan, and Sreeram Vaddiraju are working on the project with student Dhananjay Swamy and ABS’ Mejdi Kammoun, Principal Engineer – Energy Transition. The project involves laboratory experiments to investigate thermal runaway accident scenarios. The work is being conducted under a Texas A&M-ABS research agreement covering the Laboratory for Ocean Innovation.
This work offers a comprehensive analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of next-generation batteries and highlights critical safety concerns that must be addressed before widespread deployment in marine operations and offshore energy storage applications. It evaluates the working principles and technological maturity of seven next-generation battery types: Silicon anode, Sodium-Ion, Lithium-Sulfur, Lithium Metal, Vanadium Redox-Flow, Zinc-Air, and solid-state batteries and their suitability for maritime use.
A systematic analysis of recent major fire incidents involving electrified marine vessels (e.g., ferries and ships) has been conducted to extract key lessons necessary to improve the safety of offshore and marine electrification. The main causes leading to battery fire in marine environments have been identified and categorized into primary buckets of mechanical, electrical, thermal abuse, and mal-design.
Further, the potential hazards and risks associated with Lithium-Ion and next-generation batteries were identified with a particular focus on thermal runaway hazards and toxic/flammable gas generation. The key intrinsic and extrinsic safeguards installed in Lithium-Ion batteries were elaborated.
Finally, the challenges in the large-scale adoption of batteries in marine and offshore operations include a lack of technological readiness, limited safety studies, and a lack of fire safety management strategies available for the next-generation batteries. However, further research and large-scale field tests are needed to ensure safe operation and facilitate wider adoption of each technology. This work serves as a reference for enhancing onboard safety management strategies for next-generation batteries, which are anticipated to play a critical role in the future of marine and offshore electrification.
Fire suppression technologies are a big focus area. The study identifies the fire suppression agents and systems with a focus on the nuances of the marine environment that may impact batteries and their safety.