Transcript Lithium Batteries United Nations Transportation Regulations

Lithium Batteries
United Nations Transportation Regulations
Bobby Smith
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Lithium battery transport regulations
 Lithium batteries are considered potentially hazardous
 Should they leak, vent, explode or take fire during transport, they
may pose a risk to safety => their transport is regulated
 Transport regulations tell
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How to design batteries
How to test batteries before 1st shipment
Which type of packaging to use
How to label the packaging
Which paperwork to fill
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All Lithium batteries are concerned
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Primary and rechargeable
Whatever their size
Bare cells and complete battery packs
New or depleted
Transported in bulk or packed within a device
The one who ships is the one responsible for the compliance with
the regulations
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The regulation game
 A United Nations Sub-Committee of experts on the transportation of
dangerous goods defines the rules
 Official bodies in charge of specific transport modes or with specific
national competence (IATA/ICAO, IMO, ADR, US-DOT) apply the rules
to their fields
 The Battery Industry may try to lobby… but must comply with the
adopted rules
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What the UN Committee keeps updating
 A document about the transport philosophy and general rules:
Model Regulations (Rev. 15) (General Rules + Specific Provisions)
 A document detailing how to test the Li batteries:
Manual of Tests and Criteria (Rev. 4)
 May be amended following transport incidents, and/ or proposals
made by administrations or the battery industry
 The bodies in charge of specific transport modes issue their own
documents, …that may differ a little from the UN but they cannot
contradict !
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UN Model Regulations
 9 categories defined for potentially hazardous goods
Class 1: Explosives
Class 2: Gases
Class 3: Flammable liquids
Class 4: Flammable solids
Class 5: Oxidizing substances
Class 6: Toxic/infectious substances
Class 7: Radioactive materials
Class 8: Corrosive substances
Class 9: Miscellaneous
 Li batteries are normally restricted to transport /assigned to Class 9 but they can be
exempted in some cases
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UN Model Regulations
 Li cells and battery packs safety need to be assessed by testing unless they
are similar to an already tested model
 Positively tested Li batteries are restricted to transport (assigned to Class 9),
…unless their Li metal content does not exceed certain limits
 Primary Li cells: 1 gram (Li batteries: 2 grams)
2.5 kg max gross weight per packing, for air transport
 Li-ion cells: 20 Wh (Li-ion batteries: 100 Wh)
10 kg max gross weight per packing, for air transport
 Battery packs assembled from Class 9 component cells will be Class 9 after
positive testing, even if below the Li content limit
 Equipment containing class 9 batteries is also Class 9-assigned
 In certain cases “prototypes”, “short production runs”, “personal items”
may be transported un-tested, after special authorization
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Prototypes and small production runs
 Prototypes and short production runs can be shipped in the US
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Short production runs = less than 100 cells/batteries per year
Special authorization CA2003030003 obtained from US DOT, until 2013
Cells
Batteries
Road, sea,
</= 40Wh and no more than 24/package
</= 150Wh and no more than 12/package
Li-Ion
>
40Wh
and
no
more
than
12/package
> 150Wh and no more than 6/package
cargo air
Primary
</= 2g Li and no more than 24/package
> 2g Li and no more than 12/package
</= 15g Li and no more than 12/package
> 15g Li and no more than 6/package
 Prototypes of less than 35 kg
 Special authorization 900-09 under negotiation with IATA
 Lithium primary and Li-ion
 Prototypes of more than 35 kg (for Space & Defence)
 New derogation under negotiation
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UN Manual of Tests and Criteria
T1: Altitude simulation
T2: Thermal test (-40/+75°C)
T3: Vibration
T4: Mechanical shock
T5: External short circuit at 55°C
T6: Internal short circuit-Impact
(unit/component cells only)
T7: Overcharge
T8: Forced discharge
(rechargeable packs only)
(unit cells only)
(uncycled/cycled 50 times samples)
“fully charged and fully discharged “ samples
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Class 9 is not the end of the world!
 The batteries remain transportable! (even by passenger aircraft)
 More constraints regarding the packaging type, marking and weight
 Some companies (DHL, UPS) do not take Class 9 products (air)
 Others (FedEx) are OK, except for some destinations (Hong Kong…)
 FedEx, UPS ground use UN 3090 “Lithium Batteries”
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Specific “shippers declaration” forms to be filled
“Hazardous Material Tax” to be paid for each air shipment
Negative “Dangerous Goods” image for the concerned products
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Specific to Air Transport
Applicable : IATA - Dangerous Goods Regulations
 6 Packing Instructions for Class 9 products
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Lithium metal Batteries
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968 For Lithium cells/Bat transported in bulk (specific packaging weight limits) UN3090
969 For Lithium products contained with equipment UN3091
970 For Lithium products contained in equipment UN 3091
Lithium Ion Batteries
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965 For Lithium cells/Bat transported in bulk (specific packaging weight limits) UN3480
966 For Lithium products contained with equipment UN3481
967 For Lithium products contained in equipment UN 3481
 Prototypes: Shippable untested (Class 9)
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with certain packaging, quantity and authorizations dispositions
 Short production runs: need testing (if not Transport per road or sea)
 Transport of fully discharged Li-SOCl2, Li-SO2 batteries not allowed
 “Dangerous Goods form” to be filled and tax to be paid for Class 9 items
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Specific to sea / land transport in Europe
Applicable : IMDG Code & ADR
 Prototypes and short production runs, shippable untested under
certain conditions
(packing, not more than 100 pcs per shipment…)
 Transport of discharged batteries allowed
 400 kg weight limit for outer packaging
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Specific to the USA
US-DOT: Code of Federal Regulations CFR 49
 UN dispositions not yet fully taken into account
 3 sizes of cells/batteries defined - All need testing (CFR 172.102)
Small – Primary cell <= 1g, battery <= 2g Li-Ion cell <= 1.5g, Battery <= 8g
Medium – Li content <= 5g, battery <= 25g
Large – Li content >25g
 Primary Li batteries (restricted or not to transport)
 banned from passenger aircraft when transported in bulk
 specific package marking – see 49 CFR 172.101 Transport of batteries
 Prototypes and short production runs shippable untested
 Per road = ok (under special condition packing and quantity)(100 cells/bat)
 Per cargo air = only with special approval (24 cells/12 batteries)
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Four UN identification numbers
 Primary Li and Li-ion have now separate ID numbers
Transported in bulk
Transported in/with
equipment
Primary lithium batteries
UN 3090
UN 3091
Li-ion batteries
UN 3480
UN 3481
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Shipping primary Lithium
Maximum parcel weight aboard cargo aircrafts
Before
Non Class 9
Class 9
Since 1/01/09
LIP
LIR
LIP
LIR
30 kg
30 kg
2.5 kg
10 kg
35 kg
35 kg
35 kg
35 kg
In order to avoid shipping large quantities of small 2.5 kg
parcels, Saft made the decision to ship everything as Class 9
Products themselves remain non-Class 9
To keep things simple, all primary Lithium batteries are
shipped as Class 9, whatever air/sea/road
They are labeled and packed accordingly
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Primary Lithium: New Class 9 label
 All Saft shipments of primary Li batteries will display this new label
 Distributors/customers willing to ship forward LS 14250, LS 14500, LS
17500 and LSH14 light as non-Class 9 are free to do so
Previous label
Label since 1/1/09
LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES
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New calculation for Lithium-ion
 «Equivalent Li metal» no longer used
 Nominal energy (Whn) is the new criterion:
nominal capacity x nominal voltage
 Cells
below 20 Whn = non-Class 9
Batteries
below 100 Whn = non-Class 9
 Shipped in parcels of less than 10 kg
 MP 144350 cells
[and batteries of 10 cells or less]
 MP 174565 (and MP 174865)
[and batteries of 5 cells or less]
 Cells
Batteries
above 20 Whn = Class 9
above 100 Whn = Class 9
 shipped in parcels of less than 35 kg
 MP 176065 cells and batteries
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Lithium-ion: two new labels
 New « Non-Class 9 » label
 White color
 « Lithium-ion »
 Phone number
 New « Class 9 » label
 UN3480
 LITHIUM ION BATTERIES
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What to expect in the future ?
 Continued proliferation of devices powered by Li batteries
 (> 2 billion portable Li-ion batteries made in 2008 for portable
applications)
 More studies on the possible hazards of Li batteries
 Pressure to harmonize battery packing instructions and regulation
discrepancies between USA and the rest of the world
 New efforts from the battery industry to make life easier
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Lithium transport testing at Saft
 Primary Li packs: 8 samples needed
expect 2 months for completion
 Li-ion packs:
16 samples needed (8 Cycled)
expect 3-4 months for completion
Reduced Time In case of similarity
with an already tested pack model
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Lithium transport testing at Saft
 Test Samples
 Special Needs
 Test Apparatus
 Connectors/ Adaptors/ Etc
 Fixtures/ Hardware
 Dimensional Limitations @ Saft Valdese
 16” diameter / length / width
 Larger batteries outsourced
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Costs
 Cells/ Batteries
 Hardware
 Direct And Outsource Testing
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How Can Saft Help?
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Technical Expertise And Experience
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Support And Guidance
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Testing and Certification
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Saft Partners With You the Customer
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Thank you for your attention!
QUESTIONS?