Mistral Shipboard Embedded Battery Containment System

The rise of novel mission-critical energy-demanding technologies amplifies the already high growth rate of energy demand in the U.S. Navy. Given that energy generation and conversion systems have limited ability to supply transient high-power bursts, batteries, especially of the lithium chemistry family, have become an enabler for high power warfighting systems in surface, undersea, air, and ground applications. Yet, the main risks associated with this type of electrical storage technology are (a) excessive heating, fires, and explosions due to thermal runaway, and (b) harmful gaseous discharge during thermal runaway events. Lithium-ion batteries burn at intense temperatures and do not require oxygen as thermal runaway fires are self-oxidizing in their nature. As a result, lithium-ion batteries could reignite days or even weeks after the first thermal runaway. The increased utilization of lithium batteries in maritime applications increases the risk of thermal runaway incidents which require containment strategies as a critical prerequisite for deployment. Mistral is proposing a phase I activity performed in two 6 months stages: (a) Base effort that focuses on a detailed design based on multi-physics 3D static/dynamic modeling and simulation; and (b) optional effort that focuses on empirical validation of the model and simulation to allow scaled up simulations of larger designs. Mistral is basing its proposal on its experience as the 1st Place winner for Phase III in the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC?CR) Lithium Battery Man Portable Hazard Containment Challenge. In that effort, Mistral successfully (a) contained all vent gases, (b) reduced the hazards of releasing toxic vent gases, (c) conveyed externally that a hazardous event has occurred inside the container, (d) suppressed the thermal runaway event inside the container, and (e) reduced physical dimensions and weights to improve portability. At the end of this successful development, Mistral conducted a transition to production of the containers and maintains the capability to transition this experience and know-how to this proposed project. Mistral’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, based outside Baltimore, Maryland, is a 46,000-square-foot building capable of both large and small-scale production. This location has fixtures and stations for the fabrication of multiple assemblies and vessels up to 7.5 Tons and beyond.