Huawei Digital Power’s Commercial and Industrial Hybrid Cooling Grid Forming Energy Storage System (C&I GFM ESS) has cleared an extreme ignition test with TÜV Rheinland witnessing excellence. The evaluation, conducted at a nationally recognized fire safety lab, marks the industry’s first fire assessment of an ESS aligned with the latest UL 9540A:2025 standard.
Extreme Challenge: Pushing the Boundaries of Safety
This test was designed to push ESS safety to the limits by simulating an extreme ignition scenario. A pack-level overcharge method triggered thermal runaway across 60 battery cells simultaneously. Compared with traditional tests that involve only a few cells, this scenario raises the stakes dramatically, testing the system’s resilience under maximum stress.
The test’s rigor was enhanced by several conditions:
- An open-door ignition method specified in UL 9540A:2025 to maximize oxygen exposure.
- All battery packs charged to 100% state of charge (SOC).
- All proactive and passive fire suppression systems disabled, forcing the ESS to rely entirely on its intrinsic safety design at full energy capacity.
Proven Strength: A Five-Level Protection System
In these harsh conditions, Huawei’s C&I GFM ESS demonstrated exceptional safety performance, supported by a robust five-level protective architecture:
- Inter-cell thermal isolation: This first line of defense slows the spread of thermal runaway between cells, preserving overall system safety.
- All-metal pack enclosure: Built to endure temperatures exceeding 1500°C, the enclosure maintains structural integrity to limit damage.
- Positive-pressure oxygen blocking and directional smoke exhaust: This arrangement guides combustibles away from critical areas, reducing fire impact.
- Fireproof labyrinth design: Labyrinth-sealed surfaces prevent flame propagation along sealing interfaces.
- Enhanced container fire resistance: The container is armored to deliver comprehensive protection against fire.
Data Evidence: Demonstrated Performance Metrics
Test results confirm Huawei’s C&I GFM ESS safety and reliability. When the fire temperature reached 961°C, the peak temperature of a neighboring ESS cell stayed at only 45.3°C, far below the threshold for triggering the cell explosion-proof valve. The system fully complied with UL 9540A:2025, with no fire spread between units.
Key performance indicators also showed a peak heat release rate (HRR) of 3 MW, and the overall combustion duration was under three hours before self-extinguishment. Even under open-door burning, the ESS managed heat release swiftly, underscoring its superior thermal management capabilities.
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2846494/HuaweiDigitalPowersCIGFMESSPassesExtremeIgnition_Test.jpg
This achievement highlights how advanced design strategies—especially multi-layer protection and robust enclosure engineering—can dramatically improve the safety margins of energy storage systems in high-stress fire scenarios.
