Towards a more sustainable society requires the use of advanced rechargeable batteries. Energy storage systems (ESS) are critical in the transition to de-carbonization, providing the ability to efficiently store electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind. However, standards need to be developed to ensure the safety and reliability of these storage solutions.

In order to ensure the safety and performance of batteries used in industrial applications, IEC has published a new edition of the standard IEC62619, "Secondary Batteries Containing Alkaline or Other Non-Acid Electrolytes and Safety Requirements for Secondary Lithium Batteries and Accumulators for the Battery Industry”.

Industry, due to its unique power requirements, uses batteries with an emphasis on durability and reliability. IEC 62619 specifies the requirements and tests for the safe production of secondary lithium batteries and batteries for industrial use. The standard range of batteries includes batteries for stationary applications such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), energy storage systems, and batteries for motion generation such as forklifts, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), rail and marine vehicles.

Lithium secondary cells and battery systems require consideration of intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse. With this standard, battery systems are designed and built to ensure their safety in both situations.

Test methods define foreseeable misuses such as short circuits, overcharges, thermal abuse, as well as dips and shocks. IEC 62619 also addresses the functional safety of battery management systems (BMS) based on IEC 61508. It includes test requirements for voltage and current control to prevent overcharging and overheating.

Compared with the previous edition, the second edition of IEC 62619 contains the following technical changes:

1. New requirements for moving parts

2. Added requirements for hazardous live parts

3. Added requirements for battery system design

4. New requirements for system lockout

5. New requirements for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)

6. Added the procedure of laser propagation test

IEC62619 deals only with the first life of alkaline batteries and accumulators and does not consider their reuse or re-use.

If you have any requirements or any kind of query regarding the Lithium battery solutions for your applications, feel free to communicate with our dedicated team at any time at marketing@everexceed.com.