EATON XSTORAGE COMPACT INSTALLATION MANUAL
P-16400097 - September 2020 www.eaton.com
11
2.4
Battery installation fire safety
WARNING
Battery hazard.
WARNING
Fire hazard.
The risk of battery fire for xStorage battery pack installations is extremely limited by the design of the
batteries and the operation of the system. The UN38.3 tests, carried out on individual battery modules
and the entire battery pack, confirm the resistance of our equipment at low pressures, at extreme
temperatures [-40 °C to 72 °C], shock and vibration as well as external short circuit or overloads or
discharges outside specification. However, the risk of fire exists and toxic compounds related to lithium-
ion technology can be released during the combustion of batteries as written in the battery safety sheet.
Eaton recommends the installation of energy storage systems in rooms closed to the public, not subject
to flooding, having a certain fireproof capacity, as well as appropriate ventilation to allow fumes to escape
into a safe area (not occupied by the public). Make sure that there is an active automatic fire detection
system in place with early warning smoke detection and appropriate extinguishers for fire suppression.
In the unlikely event of a thermal runaway by a battery, Eaton recommends leaving the battery room,
closing doors, access, or windows while ensuring that ventilation is turned on and the xStorage
Compact energy storage system is shut down. It is recommended to let the battery burn and not to try to
extinguish it with the standard means provided (water or fire extinguisher) because the increase of risk to
the people or the equipment.
If the source of the fire is caused by a battery, the fire should extinguish by itself, relatively quickly. It is
important to notify the emergency services. The emergency services are the only authority to determine
whether the battery part is safe again and that the cleaning and replacement can be done by qualified,
responsible parties. Eaton recommends a waiting time of one hour between the end of the smoke and
entry into the battery room.
In the event of a building fire that extends into the battery room, it is important to inform the emergency
services of the presence of an energy storage system with lithium-ion batteries. Indeed, if the fire
protection services were to fight the fire in the battery room, it should be equipped with hazardous
material protection to guard against potential releases of toxic compounds according to the procedures
in force during fire involving electric cars.