The fast adoption of lithium-ion battery know-how in trendy information facilities is revolutionizing how amenities handle energy redundancy and power storage. Whereas these superior batteries supply important benefits over conventional lead-acid programs, in addition they introduce advanced fireplace security challenges that demand specialised safety methods and compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks.
As new applied sciences are launched into the information heart neighborhood, fireplace safety necessities have to be reviewed and modified accordingly.
Lately, a number of important technological developments and adjustments – AI, elevated energy calls for and larger cooling necessities – have prompted fireplace safety engineers and information heart operators to reevaluate the fireplace safety methods they’ve beforehand carried out throughout large-scale information facilities.
Whereas varied adjustments could possibly be addressed, this text will concentrate on the rising use of lithium-ion batteries and the way evolving code modifications are affecting conventional fireplace safety methods.
The Rise of Lithium-Ion Batteries in Information Facilities
The usage of lithium-ion batteries in uninterruptible energy provides (UPS) and in-rack battery backup models inside information facilities has grown exponentially lately for a number of causes, together with:
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Increased power density in a smaller footprint
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Improved effectivity, changing as much as 95% of the power saved to usable energy
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Lighter and extra compact design, releasing up helpful house
With these benefits in thoughts, the business is shifting away from conventional lead-acid batteries towards lithium-ion batteries. The swap is made in the course of the building part of latest tasks or when changing current lead-acid batteries throughout a retrofit state of affairs.
Trendy information facilities sometimes deploy lithium-ion batteries in two essential configurations:
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Conventional UPS Rooms: Batteries are centrally positioned in a devoted room, saved in racks and electrically related to the UPS.
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In-rack Functions: Compact, modular power storage programs (ESS) are put in immediately inside server racks or IT tools. These programs are frequent in massive information halls the place house is proscribed and localized energy is a precedence.
Every technique presents distinctive challenges in reaching code compliance and implementing the best safety methods.
Evolving Regulatory Panorama and Code Necessities
The usage of lithium-ion batteries and the potential hazards related to ESS prompted the Nationwide Hearth Safety Affiliation (NFPA) to develop a brand new customary in 2019.
The primary version of NFPA 855 – ‘Normal for the Set up of Stationary Power Storage Programs’ – was launched in 2020. At the moment, the one different code that contained prescriptive necessities for lithium-ion ESS was the Worldwide Hearth Code (IFC) 2001, which outlined the hearth safety necessities for ESS with a capability larger than 20 kWh.
Early iterations of the codes and requirements supplied restricted steering and included gaps within the necessities. Code officers and fireplace departments relied on fireplace safety professionals to fill these gaps. As the usage of ESS elevated, the necessity to make clear the codes and requirements turned paramount. Over the previous a number of code cycles, each the IFC and NFPA 855 have been modified to higher make clear terminology and modify safety methods.
Variations between IFC 2018 and IFC 2024 will have an effect on information heart operators. The 2024 version expands the necessities of Chapter 12 to extra intently align with the necessities of the 2023 version of NFPA 855. There are enhanced fireplace safety necessities, together with increased sprinkler densities, gasoline detection, elevated air flow charges and air sampling smoke detection.
The 2024 version of the IFC additionally locations a larger emphasis on danger assessments particular to battery chemistry and permits for larger use of performance-based design choices, using modeling for gasoline launch and potential deflagration.
The modifications to NFPA 855 within the 2020 and 2023 editions have been much like these within the IFC. A lot of the adjustments expanded necessities for sprinkler design densities, gasoline detection, air flow and explosion mitigation. One other important change occurred within the Nationwide Electrical Code (NFPA 70). Within the 2017 version, a brand new part was added – Article 706: Power Storage Programs – which incorporates necessities for disconnecting means, ESS places and air flow.
Regional Variations in Compliance Necessities
To complicate issues additional, particular person U.S. states and bigger municipalities are creating their very own necessities. For instance, for giant ESS tasks, the state of California mandates compliance with NFPA 855 and session with the hearth division and requires a facility inspection by the native fireplace division or State Hearth Marshal earlier than startup.
Town of New York requires indoor ESS installations to be put in in absolutely sprinklered buildings solely, except exempted, and the Hearth Division of New York is the central authority within the approval course of. These listings and exams are usually not non-obligatory; they’re a core a part of the allowing course of.
Implementation Challenges and Strategic Concerns
What does this imply for information heart operators? When designing new information facilities and UPS programs, it’s important to evaluation all relevant codes, requirements and regulatory necessities, and to have interaction fireplace safety engineers early within the design course of.
There will probably be a larger reliance on complete danger assessments to stipulate the hazards, mitigation efforts and fireplace safety design standards. The adjustments have probably the most important affect throughout retrofit tasks, when conventional lead-acid batteries are changed with lithium-ion ESS models. In these eventualities, a number of key upgrades could also be required:
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The present sprinkler system could must be modified to satisfy increased design density necessities
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Gasoline detection programs could must be added
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Air flow charges have to be evaluated and probably elevated
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Explosion safety and mitigation measures could must be included
Sprinkler and air flow programs are sometimes designed and put in throughout a constructing’s authentic building, making them troublesome – and infrequently expensive – to change. Equally, explosion mitigation options are typically built-in into the preliminary design, and upgrading an current facility can current important technical and monetary hurdles. For these causes, modeling and different varieties of performance-based alternate options could must be investigated.
With the growing use of lithium-ion batteries and evolving code necessities, it’s important to have interaction fireplace safety engineers with specialised experience in lithium-ion battery ESS early within the undertaking.
