Huawei Digital Power’s ESS Successfully Passes Extreme Ignition Test: A Milestone in Safety
In a groundbreaking achievement, Huawei Digital Power has announced that their Commercial and Industrial Hybrid Energy Storage System (C&I GFM ESS) has successfully passed an extreme ignition test conducted by TÜV Rheinland. This rigorous assessment took place in a prominent national fire safety laboratory and is recognized as the industry's first fire evaluation of an energy storage system (ESS), adhering to the standards set by UL 9540A2025.
The test was meticulously designed to create an incredibly challenging verification environment, aimed at examining the safety performance of ESS under extreme ignition scenarios. Notably, a package-level overload method was employed to induce a thermal runaway across 60 battery cells simultaneously. This approach significantly amplifies the severity of the evaluation compared to tests that involve only one or a few cells, pushing the system to its limits.
The conditions for the test were fortified to maximize the challenges faced by the ESS. The open-door ignition test method, as outlined in the UL 9540A2025 standard, was applied to ensure maximum oxygen availability. All battery packs were charged to a full state of charge (100% SOC), and all fire suppression systems, both proactive and passive, were disabled during the test. This forced the ESS to rely solely on its intrinsic design to withstand combustion at full energy capacity.
Amid these extreme conditions, Huawei's C&I GFM ESS demonstrated exceptional safety performance, supported by an innovative five-level protection design. The key features of this system include:
1. Thermal Isolation Between Cells: This feature effectively slows down the thermal runaway process between cells, providing a crucial first line of defense for system safety.
2. Fully Metal Housing: The housing is capable of withstanding temperatures exceeding 1500 °C, maintaining structural integrity even under intense fire conditions, thus minimizing damage.
3. Positive Pressure Oxygen Lock and Directional Smoke Escape: This innovative design reroutes combustible materials, greatly reducing the fire's impact.
4. Fire-Resistant Labyrinthine Design: The ESS's sealing surfaces incorporate a labyrinth structure designed to effectively prevent flame propagation.
5. Enhanced Fire-resistance of the Container: The container is armored to provide comprehensive fire protection.
Data collected from the tests robustly validates the safety and reliability of Huawei's C&I GFM ESS. For instance, when the fire temperature reached 961 °C, the maximum temperature of an adjacent ESS cell was only 45.3 °C, significantly lower than the threshold required for the cell’s pressure relief valve to activate. The system complied fully with the UL 9540A2025 standard, exhibiting no fire spread between units.
Moreover, the maximum heat release rate recorded was 3 MW, and the total combustion lasted for less than three hours before self-extinguishing. Under open-door combustion conditions, the system effectively managed heat release, proving its superior thermal management capabilities.
This successful test not only showcases the innovative safety features of Huawei’s C&I GFM ESS but also sets a new benchmark in the energy storage industry's safety standards. The commitment to developing safer and more reliable energy storage solutions marks a significant advancement for Huawei Digital Power, reinforcing their role as leaders in the energy technology landscape.