this post was submitted on 20 Nov 2023
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485
This Southern California solar farm is using retired EV batteries for storing the power and then send to the grid when needed. This way the retired batteries can extend their usefulness for several... (grist.org)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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This Southern California solar farm is using retired EV batteries for storing the power and then send to the grid when needed. This way the retired batteries can extend their usefulness for several...::A Southern California company is showing how repurposing EV batteries for stationary storage can extend their usefulness for several years.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

What an atrociously dangerous planned design.

  1. Poor design: Thermal runaway is a serious problem that this setup has a very high chance of occurring. When it occurs, not if, it will spread fast from one container to the next and it will not be able to be put out that is the current fire fighting procedure for the state.
  2. It is very dangerous because these old batteries produce a very toxic and dangerous compounds when in thermal runaway. Again firefighting procedures cover hazmat requirements and it’s well documented the dangerous compounds that are present especially in these older batteries.

Net result. It will create another unstoppable fire that will dump poisons into ground water and the air recklessly endangering anyone down wind.

Solutions not problems:

  1. Isolate each container in an empty dam that is able to be filled with super chilled salt water the moment a runaway begins.
  2. Design fire suppression and shutdown to protect residents and the grid. Keep personal onsite to monitor with the authority to immediately react to fire incidents.
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Do you think the engineers haven't thought about that?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Do you think personal safety, firefighting ability, and effects on the environment has informed the design of like… anything in the last 50 years?

“Faster to catch fire, faster to spread, faster to catastrophically fail, more dangerous to life and health, and worse for the environment when it does so” describes anything from modern house construction to vehicle manufacturing.

Priority one is “cheaper”, the rest is just noise.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

They actually have not thought of that no. In fact there is a cult like level of ignorance that has already just caused a serious fire & toxic release with this exact same hair brain layout and design. That said the method of fire containment is very new out of the Netherlands I believe.

https://youtu.be/LH2UOC2TMng?feature=shared

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

After hearing jokes about college professors evacuating planes when they hear that their students designed them? Wouldn't put it past em. Even experts make big mistakes.