LOXK2000 Lithium-Ion Battery Storage & Charging Cabinet

For a lithium-ion battery cabinet, the classification of individual components is only part of the equation. In an incident, the complete cabinet system must function under the thermal and mechanical stresses associated with a battery event.

The LOXK2000 has therefore been tested and certified to VDMA 24994. As part of the test procedure, lithium-ion batteries are deliberately driven into thermal runaway in order to evaluate the behaviour of the complete system under the resulting loads.

According to LOXXER, the doors remained closed during testing, external temperatures remained within the required limits, the cabinet withstood the resulting pressure waves and smoke was discharged through the integrated ventilation system.

For operators, this certification provides a documented technical basis and can be an important factor in risk assessment, fire safety planning and coordination with insurers or responsible authorities.

A critical condition in a lithium-ion battery does not necessarily begin with visible flames. Smoke development, reaction gases or unusual temperature rises may occur beforehand.

The LOXK2000 therefore monitors the cabinet interior using smoke and temperature detection. These two monitoring parameters complement one another and support early identification of abnormal conditions within the cabinet.

If an event is detected, an acoustic and optical alarm is triggered. The LED status indicator additionally provides information on the operating and alarm status of the system.

This allows personnel to react at an early stage and initiate the measures defined in the site-specific operational emergency and fire safety concept.

The high-capacity LOXK2000 is closed by two self-closing doors with multi-point locking. Door contacts monitor the defined operating condition of the battery cabinet.

Especially during a dynamic battery event, the mechanical stability of the door system is an important part of the overall design. According to the manufacturer, the doors remained securely closed during the VDMA 24994 test scenario.

The LOXK2000 also provides a connection for an external fire alarm system. Depending on the existing building technology, signals from the integrated detection system can therefore be incorporated into higher-level alarm and safety systems.

This is particularly relevant for industrial buildings, logistics centres, workshops and areas that are temporarily operated without permanent supervision.

When many chargers are operated simultaneously, heat is continuously generated inside the battery cabinet. The LOXK2000 therefore features active forced ventilation to support air exchange during normal charging operation.

The specified airflow is 1.21 m³/min. A connection with a 200 mm diameter is provided for integration into an external extraction or exhaust-air system.

In addition, the LOXK2000 incorporates a dedicated pressure-management system. This takes into account that a thermal runaway can generate large quantities of hot reaction gases and substantial pressure loads within a very short period of time.

The system therefore addresses two different requirements: thermal management during normal charging operation and pressure and gas management during a battery event.

In addition to detection, alarm functions and structural event containment, the LOXK2000 can optionally be equipped with the certified AFX 150 aerosol fire suppression system.

According to the manufacturer, the system is electrically activated when smoke is detected. The aerosol is then distributed throughout the cabinet interior and is intended to control the fire event and help limit fire spread to additional batteries.

According to LOXXER, complete aerosol distribution takes less than 30 seconds. The system operates without water and therefore provides an additional safety layer inside the battery cabinet.

The technical limitation is important: a thermal runaway already taking place inside a lithium-ion cell cannot simply be stopped by an external extinguishing agent. The aerosol fire suppression system is therefore primarily intended to limit the accompanying fire event and reduce the risk of fire propagation.