The battery box monitors fire, flames and high temperatures

Charging a battery can lead to smoke or even a battery fire, with all the associated consequences. The company Battery Control has launched the Battery-box specifically for this purpose. This is a sealed box designed to ensure the safe charging and storage of lithium-ion e-bike batteries. It is ideal for the hospitality and hotel sector, where the hire of electric bikes is increasingly being offered as an additional service, as is the provision of facilities for guests bringing their own bikes.

What is the secret behind this safe solution? Dick van de Steeg, co-owner of Battery Control, explains. “The Battery-box is the result of years of thorough research and the more than 75 battery fire tests we have carried out. Should the battery catch fire or produce a huge amount of smoke during or immediately after charging, this special box keeps the explosive pressure, the fire and the high temperature under control. The toxic fumes are safely vented, and the fire – as well as any flying debris – remains contained within the box.”

Van de Steeg has been working in the bicycle industry for 33 years. He has seen the range of products on offer change and sales of e-bikes skyrocket. The first model appeared on the market in 1999. By the start of this century, 10,000 had been sold. By 2023, there will be no fewer than five and a half million electric bikes and e-scooters on the roads in the Netherlands. In 2019, Van de Steeg decided to set up the company Battery Control Europe together with René van Wijngaarden and Nick Akkerman. This was the result of years of research aimed at developing a safe storage and charging system. “Spontaneous battery fires were becoming an increasingly serious problem for the cycling industry. Nobody wants negative publicity. There were no legal provisions in place regarding battery fires. Universities and testing institutes knew very little about battery fires and were unable to assist us further. Our first product originated from the aviation industry.”

With this in mind, testing of various batteries began. The central question was: what happens in the event of a so-called thermal runaway short circuit in the battery cell? Initially, Van de Steeg used insulating material. “We incorporated this into a special bag, but the combination proved not to be effective or strong enough to stop a battery fire and the resulting smoke. The bag was suitable for phones and laptops, but not for larger energy sources such as bicycle and scooter batteries. That is why they continued to develop the design. After all, the solution had to offer optimum safety.”

The tests continued. Because as the number of batteries increased, so did the risk of house fires. Charging was still not safe and proved to be a risk to every household and many organisations. The cause lay with the batteries. Van de Steeg: “We were actually pioneering this field and kept asking ourselves questions such as: what exactly happens during a thermal runaway? What happens, how does it happen, and when? What are the most common causes, and what temperatures and pressures are generated? Just how toxic are the chemical fumes, really? These are all questions to which the team at Battery Control Europe have found answers. “Our aim was to carry out thorough preliminary research and then develop the solution in practice into a safe storage and charging system. This, of course, involved some trial and error, but it led to the desired result.”

Ultimately, the steel Battery-box was developed to meet the strict safety requirements of major insurers. The material and the box itself can withstand the explosive pressure generated during a battery fire. An ideal solution for various sectors, such as education, meal delivery services, the tourism sector and the hotel industry. “Many people take e-bikes with them on holiday or on short trips and then charge the battery in their hotel room. Various hotels and holiday parks are therefore making a conscious decision to purchase the Battery-box or Lithium-locker. Guests can use the card they use to open their room to operate this locker as well. The Lithium-locker makes it possible to facilitate the safe charging of e-bike batteries (as a service) or to operate it commercially (by renting out the locker).”

Should the battery nevertheless cause any hazardous situations whilst charging, the unit maintains control over the pressure, the fire, the flames and the high temperatures. The flue gases are also safely vented. All of this makes this solution safer than charging in a hotel room.

“More and more retail chains are getting in touch with us and showing particular interest in our secure Battery-boxes and the Lithium-locker. Given the sharp rise in battery use, it is essential to prioritise safety. The Battery-box and the Lithium-locker guarantee this safety.”