In today’s rapidly growing energy storage industry, most attention is often focused on battery cells—their capacity, lifespan, and cost. However, the real threats to system safety often lie beyond the battery cells. These hidden, often underestimated system-level risks quietly determine the long-term safety and reliability of energy storage systems.
If you think a perfectly functioning cell guarantees system safety, it’s time to rethink the bigger picture. Battery Management Systems (BMS), electrical connections, thermal management, mechanical structure, and manufacturing processes all play crucial roles in system safety.
The BMS monitors voltage, current, and temperature, and initiates protective actions when anomalies occur. However, many BMS systems still fall short:
·Fault diagnosis coverage is below 60%.
·Only 25% of products have complete fault recovery mechanisms.
·Over 70% of BMS systems lack safety state lock functions.
Case in Point: In one energy storage plant incident, slow BMS voltage sampling and wide temperature protection thresholds led to a missed intervention window, causing a full system shutdown. A BMS must not only see the problem—it must act quickly.
Every connection in a system can be a potential failure point:
|
Fault Type |
Occurrence Rate |
Root Cause |
Severity |
|
Connector contact failure |
32% |
Insufficient contact resistance |
High |
|
Cable overheating & aging |
28% |
Improper current-carrying design |
Medium-High |
|
Corrosion at connection points |
24% |
Lack of protective measures |
Medium |
|
Loose mechanical connections |
16% |
Inadequate anti-loosening design |
Medium |
Even with high-quality cells, unreliable connections can compromise the entire system.
Thermal runaway is one of the most dangerous risks in energy storage, and thermal management systems often underperform:
·Only 35% of tested systems effectively prevent heat spread.
·Insulation materials are often poorly chosen.
·Pressure relief designs fail in about 45% of cases.
Key Thermal Design Requirements:
Mechanical design and production processes are equally critical:
A single overlooked step can compromise system safety.
System safety must be evaluated holistically:
System-level risks beyond the battery cells are often hidden but highly destructive. At Max Power, we have built a complete system safety framework, ensuring that every detail—from BMS to electrical connections to thermal management—is thoroughly tested.
When selecting an energy storage system, don’t just look at the cells—pay attention to the invisible safety risks that ultimately determine long-term performance.
