Sponsored by: Burns & McDonnell
Project Summary
Lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in modern society, being apart of products ranging from smartphones and hoverboards to e-bikes and electric cars. As their presence becomes increasingly more common, fires caused by these batteries have also increased. Battery fires are harder to put out and can spread just as easily as traditional fires. The purpose of the project is to design a device simple enough to be built by an average consumer. This device will slow the spread of the fire while also contacting said consumer so that they may reach out to authorities to properly dispose of the battery.
Design Goal
The goal of this project is to create an instruction manual for a consumer that will assemble a system used to mitigate the spread of a lithium-ion battery fire while also alerting the consumer so that they may contact authorities promptly.
Design Constraints
- Must be made entirely of commercially available products.
- Must contain an active and passive means of fire protection.
- Must contain an alarm to notify the inhabitants and/or authorities.
![Mitigation device prior to testing](../../../../../_media-library/_images/ug-experience/senior-design/2023-2024/projects/t20-burns-mcdonnell-image1.jpg)
Mitigation device prior to testing
Members of the Project Team
Student Team:
- Preston Doan - Major: Electrical Engineering
- Will Grundhauser - Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Nick Ladas - Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Earl Roehlke - Major: Mechanical Engineering
Industry Representatives: Jeff Dew
Faculty Advisor: Brian Plourde
![Senior Design student team](../../../../../_media-library/_images/ug-experience/senior-design/2023-2024/student-teams/t20-burnsmcdonnell-student-team-pic.jpg)
Pictured left to right: Will Grundhauser, Nick Ladas, Preston Doan, Earl Roehlke