Description
This Crowcon system prevents lithium-ion battery fires by detecting the risk at an early stage. Prior to thermal runaway, cells release gases (off-gassing). Our sensors identify these CO and VOCs, generating a critical early warning that allows action to be taken minutes before a fire breaks out.
Enriched Content
Lithium-ion battery energy storage (BESS) is the cornerstone of the energy transition, but it carries an inherent and catastrophic risk: thermal runaway. A traditional fire detection system (smoke, heat) is reactive, it acts when the fire has already started and it is often too late. At Álava Ingenieros, we implemented the Crowcon solution, a predictive technology that redefines safety, detecting the risk minutes before ignition occurs.
Thermal runaway is not an instantaneous event. It starts with a single defective battery cell that overheats. Before this cell catches fire, it undergoes a degradation process in which it releases a specific mixture of gases, mainly Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). This phenomenon is known as “off-gassing” and is the unmistakable precursor of an impending fire. Detecting these gases is the key to effective prevention.
Crowcon’s system is specifically designed to identify this chemical signature. It uses a combination of highly sensitive sensors, including a photoionization detector (PID) for VOCs and an electrochemical sensor for CO. An intelligent algorithm analyzes the readings in real time. It does not look for a single gas, but for the simultaneous presence of this characteristic mixture of “off-gassing”, which provides extremely high reliability and eliminates false alarms.
From Detection to Active Prevention
The alert generated by the Crowcon system provides a critical time of several minutes before ignition. This interval is pure safety gold and allows automatic preventive actions to be taken:
- Disconnect and isolate the affected battery rack through the Battery Management System (BMS).
- Activate emergency ventilation to disperse to disperse accumulated flammable gases.
- Notify emergency teams with accurate information about the nature and location of the hazard.
This ability to anticipate can mean the difference between a controlled maintenance incident and the total loss of a multi-million dollar asset. With Crowcon’s solution, Álava Ingenieros offers the most advanced protection in the market for critical infrastructures such as BESS systems, data centers and battery manufacturing plants.
