LS ELECTRIC Chairman Koo Ja-kyun.

LS ELECTRIC has developed a solution to prevent battery overheating, which is a cause for fires related to energy storage systems (ESS).

LS ELECTRIC said on Sept. 28 the company developed a battery temperature sensor (BTS) that can monitor the real-time temperature of an ESS using an optical technology. It can halt its operation if the temperature rises at a given level.

In the past, the temperature of a battery had been monitored, but if the temperature rises at a given level, it could cause damage to the module, so the exact cause of overheating cannot be pinpointed. But the newly developed BTS can detect the temperature of a battery cell.

A view of LS ELECTRICD’s smart factory in Cheongju, which specializes in production of energy storage systems outfitted with a battery temperature sensor.

The solution can monitor the overheating section of an ESS in a precise and fast fashion by inserting a special designed optical fiber into an electric and electronic device to measure exact temperature of each sector at a distance of 30 cm.

LS ELECTRIC is test-operating a BTS installed in an ESS at its plant in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do.

In mid-September, LS ELECTRIC held a seminar with officials from Korea Electric Power Corp., KEPCO KPS, KEPCO KDN and Korea Energy Agency (KEA) to introduce the technology and outcomes.

Research on fires related to energy storage systems showed that a lithium-ion battery began to show functional problems if the temperature rises above 40 degrees Celsius, and it starts to inflate if it increases above 60 degrees.

The battery tends to suffer damage, making it useless at an ignition stage, which occurs above 150 degrees, lasts for more than 30 minutes.

A BTS begins to monitor the temperature of battery at an optimal stage of 25 degrees. If problematic signs are detected, the BTS issues an alarm and warning signal before it forcibly stops the operation of the ESS.

It can prevent both fires and the damages of the battery. The BTS is capable of pinpointing the overheating portion of each battery module, reducing cell replacement costs.

In particular, the BTS is expected to contribute to lessening damages customers sustain by optimizing the operational efficiency of the ESS.

The operational efficiency of the ESS can be maxed out at a temperature of between 20 to 30 degrees. If the temperature goes up or drops from the optimal degree, the efficiency of the ESS can be compromised. The BTS can optimize the efficiency of the ESS by detecting the minute temperature changes.

A view of a battery temperature sensor, produced by LS ELECTRIC. (Photos: LS ELECTRIC)

Citing a temperature rise related to the charging and discharging of the battery as a cause for fires related to the ESS, the government has recommended the output cap of the battery to be lowered to less than 80 percent of its capacity.

But if the BTS is installed, it can pinpoint the overheating section of the battery, allowing the battery to be operated at a level of 90 percent of its capacity.