Combustible Dust Testing

Laboratory testing to quantify dust explosion and reactivity hazards

Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Gas and Vapor

Laboratory testing to quantify explosion hazards for vapor and gas mixtures

UN-DOT
Classification of hazardous materials subject to shipping and storage regulations
Hydrogen
Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Thermal Stability

Safe storage or processing requires an understanding of the possible hazards associated with sensitivity to variations in temperature

Adiabatic Calorimetry
Data demonstrate the consequences of process upsets, such as failed equipment or improper procedures, and guide mitigation strategies including Emergency Relief System (ERS) design
Reaction Calorimetry
Data yield heat and gas removal requirements to control the desired process chemistry
Battery Safety

Testing to support safe design of batteries and electrical power backup facilities particularly to satisfy UL9540a ed.4

Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Cable Testing
Evaluate electrical cables to demonstrate reliability and identify defects or degradation
Equipment Qualification (EQ)
Testing and analysis to ensure that critical equipment will operate under adverse environmental conditions
Water Hammer
Analysis and testing to identify and prevent unwanted hydraulic pressure transients in process piping
Acoustic Vibration
Identify and eliminate potential sources of unwanted vibration in piping and structural systems
Gas & Air Intrusion
Analysis and testing to identify and prevent intrusion of gas or air in piping systems
ISO/IEC 17025:2017

Fauske & Associates fulfills the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 in the field of Testing

ISO 9001:2015
Fauske & Associates fulfills the requirements of ISO 9001:2015
Dust Hazards Analysis
Evaluate your process to identify combustible dust hazards and perform dust explosion testing
On-Site Risk Management
On-site safety studies can help identify explosibility and chemical reaction hazards so that appropriate testing, simulations, or calculations are identified to support safe scale up
DIERS Methodology
Design emergency pressure relief systems to mitigate the consequences of unwanted chemical reactivity and account for two-phase flow using the right tools and methods
Deflagrations (Dust/Vapor/Gas)

Properly size pressure relief vents to protect your processes from dust, vapor, and gas explosions

Effluent Handling

Pressure relief sizing is just the first step and it is critical to safely handle the effluent discharge from an overpressure event

FATE™ & Facility Modeling

FATE™ (Facility Flow, Aerosol, Thermal, and Explosion) is a flexible, fast-running code developed and maintained by Fauske and Associates under an ASME NQA-1 compliant QA program.

Mechanical, Piping, and Electrical
Engineering and testing to support safe plant operations and develop solutions to problems in heat transfer, fluid, flow, and electric power systems
Hydrogen Safety
Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
Thermal Hydraulics
Testing and analysis to ensure that critical equipment will operate under adverse environmental conditions
Nuclear Safety
Our Nuclear Services Group is recognized for comprehensive evaluations to help commercial nuclear power plants operate efficiently and stay compliant
Radioactive Waste
Safety analysis to underpin decomissioning process at facilities which have produced or used radioactive nuclear materials
Adiabatic Safety Calorimeters (ARSST and VSP2)

Low thermal inertial adiabatic calorimeters specially designed to provide directly scalable data that are critical to safe process design

Other Lab Equipment and Parts for the DSC/ARC/ARSST/VSP2 Calorimeters

Products and equipment for the process safety or process development laboratory

FERST

Software for emergency relief system design to ensure safe processing of reactive chemicals, including consideration of two-phase flow and runaway chemical reactions

FATE

Facility modeling software mechanistically tracks transport of heat, gasses, vapors, and aerosols for safety analysis of multi-room facilities

Blog

Our highly experienced team keeps you up-to-date on the latest process safety developments.

Process Safety Newsletter

Stay informed with our quarterly Process Safety Newsletters sharing topical articles and practical advice.

Resources

With over 40 years of industry expertise, we have a wealth of process safety knowledge to share.

Battery Safety Testing

Battery safety is a much-discussed topic, and its importance remains front and center as the energy storage industry continues to expand. Our flammability team actively supports customers with battery safety testing. Flammability testing has focused on flammability analysis of the gas that is released during battery thermal events. These data are used to ensure the enclosure ventilation system and explosion relief panels are adequate for the installation.

Historically, Fauske and our customers have found adiabatic calorimetry to be a useful method for evaluating thermal stability of battery materials. We continue to expand our capabilities for testing batteries and battery materials. Some of our testing options are shown below, but please contact us if you have interest in other types of custom testing.

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Testing Services

We experimentally determine the LFL, Pmax, and Kg as required by industry accepted standards such as ANSI/CAN/UL 9540A Ed. 4, which references a number of other standards (e.g., ASHRAE, ASTM, EN, ISO, NFPA and Canadian standards).

Other related testing services include:

VSP2


The standard VSP2 system is supplemented with an additional power supply and electrical load device, which for convenience are controlled separately from the VSP2 software. Also, for added safety, the standard 4-liter containment vessel is replaced with a larger pressure vessel available in the FAI flammability lab. Results demonstrate the efficacy of the VSP2 for analyzing battery explosions, and the method is scalable to larger batteries.

The VSP2 control software is configured to heat the lithium-ion cell at a constant rate from ambient to 350°C. The temperature, pressure, and lithium-ion cell voltage are measured and recorded. Additionally, the auxiliary and guard heater control power are recorded. The lithium-ion cell voltage is measured using customized software and pre-conditioning equipment while the VSP2 was used to record the temperatures and pressure and control the heaters.

Battery Cell Testing

  • Thermal Runaway

Testing is conducted on a preconditioned battery cell wrapped in a custom heater assembly with an optional guard for adiabatic tracking. The system is installed in a pressure containment vessel that allows us to control the atmosphere (air, nitrogen, humidity), and the cell is heated at a predetermined heating mode, undercharging or overcharging up or other electrical or mechanical abuse triggering systems. Cell voltage, gas temperature, center and cathode temperature and pressure signals are monitored throughout the runaway event. Key parameters include onset of cell venting, temperature and pressure rates relationships vs. time/temperature for kinetic extraction, and moles of non-condensable gas generated during runaway. Post test visual observations are taken, such as failure mechanisms. 
 

  • Off-Gas Collection and Analysis

Following a thermal runaway typically done under inert conditions, a sample of the headspace gas at discrete times (cell vent, thermal runaway, post combustion) can be taken and analyzed for composition, and then be blended for further flammability testing.
 

Off-Gas Flammability Testing

Knowledge of the LFL can be used to determine ventilation rates to prevent accumulation of flammable gas buildup (<0.25%)

  • Explosion Severity Test 

Vent sizing for room or others.


Solvent and Electrolyte Solutions Testing

    • DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimeter) Test

    • TGA (Thermogravimetric Analyzer) Test

    • ARC (Accelerating Rate Calorimeter) Test

      ARC test is completed using an accelerated rate calorimeter (ARC) where exothermic temperature rise rates and pressure generation rates are tracked adiabatically in a primarily closed system test setup. ARC data is typically used to assess thermal stability of cell components by identifying safety parameters, such as adiabatic time to maximum rate and extracting thermokinetic properties.

  • TAM (Thermal Activity Monitor) Test

  • ARSST

  • Flash Point Test

    Typically closed atmosphere

  • Fire Point Test

    Typically in open atmosphere. Need to sustain combustion.

  • Sustained Burning Test

    When a material is classified as flammable because of flash point/fire point. This can be used to make the classification less severe. 

  • Autoignition Temperature

  • Vapor Pressure

    Eliminate boiling point.

  • Heat Capacity

    The specific heat of a substance is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram substance by 1˚C. We can measure the heat capacity of solids at various temperatures with a variety of calorimetric tools. The heat capacity of a material or mixture can be used to assess general properties, such as insulating capabilities, is commonly used to size heating and cooling process equipment, and can help to improve the accuracy of a variety of simulations. 

  • Oxidizing Liquids

  • Heat of Combustion

    Used for classification of aerosol products and sizing dust collection systems. 

  • Flammability Limits

  • Limiting Oxygen Concentration

  • Explosion Severity

  • Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE)

Membrane/Separator Materials Testing

  • DSC/TGA Tests

  • ARC Test

  • TAM Test

  • Heat Capacity

    The specific heat of a substance is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram substance by 1˚C. We can measure the heat capacity of solids at various temperatures with a variety of calorimetric tools. The heat capacity of a material or mixture can be used to assess general properties, such as insulating capabilities, is commonly used to size heating and cooling process equipment, and can help to improve the accuracy of a variety of simulations. 

  • Thermal Conductivity

  • Heat of Combustion

  • Oxidizing Solids

  • Ignition Temperatures of Plastics

    Similar to AIT. Primarily for solids.

Electrolyte, Solids, Anode and Cathode Material Testing

  • DSC/TGA Tests

  • ARC Test

  • TAM Test

  • Heat Capacity

    The specific heat of a substance is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram substance by 1˚C. We can measure the heat capacity of solids at various temperatures with a variety of calorimetric tools. The heat capacity of a material or mixture can be used to assess general properties, such as insulating capabilities, is commonly used to size heating and cooling process equipment, and can help to improve the accuracy of a variety of simulations. 

  • Minimum Explosible Concentration (MEC)

  • Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE)

  • Layer Ignition Temperature (LIT)

  • Explosion Severity Test (Pmax and Kg)



 
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Related Services

Read a case study on how Fauske & Associates has used the VSP2 to test lithium-ion batteries

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Battery Safety - Resources

Don't Get Burned by Battery Fires
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Lithium-Ion Battery Scoping Test Using the VSP2
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Since 1980 Fauske & Associates (FAI) has been an innovative leader in process safety. FAI is recognized worldwide for technical excellence in accident simulation, hazards testing, and safety consulting to prevent or mitigate accidents at chemical and nuclear facilities.

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