Thermal runaway containment

Thermal runaway containment is the battery-unit, enclosure, control or installation design intended to limit the spread or effects of a thermal runaway event in a BESS (battery energy storage system). It is about what happens after a cell or module enters an uncontrolled self-heating failure state: whether heat, fire, smoke, gases, projectiles or propagation to other cells can be limited by the product and installation design. The term may appear around enclosure design, physical requirements for battery units, battery management, fault management, fail-to-safe operation, installation location, fire protection, separation distances and UL 9540A (Test Method for Evaluating Thermal Runaway Fire Propagation in Battery Energy Storage Systems). It is not a promise that a battery cannot fail, a householder action, an emergency response plan, MCS certification, DNO approval, warranty cover or proof that a particular home battery location is acceptable.