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Element Z General Design RequirementsOwner Standards and Other

Requirements Z2070 Battery Charging Rooms

The University of Texas BATTERY CHARGING ROOMSM. D. Anderson Cancer Center Z2070ODG012709 1 OF 4

PART 1 - GENERAL

1.01 OVERVIEW

A. This document addresses minimum code requirements, guidelines, regulations and providesdesign and construction criteria for battery charging operations at the University of TexasM.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Owner). This includes, but is not limited to, UPS batteryrooms, rooms designated for charging batteries that power portable floor scrubbingmachines, personnel carriers, etc., and other spaces in which battery systems are permittedby Code to share with the equipment they support.

B. Where the A/E considers that compliance is not possible, the A/E shall communicate suchconcerns in writing to the Owners Project Manager and resolve all non-compliance issues insufficient time during the design phase of the Project to meet contract schedule obligations.

PART 2 - DESIGN CRITERIA2.01 CODES AND REGULATIONS

A. The NFPA 70 National Electrical Code shall be adhered to for the electrical design andinstallation of battery charging operations.

B. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)1910.178 Powered Industrial Trucks and 29CFR1926.441 Batteries and Battery Chargingshall be adhered to for eyewash/safety shower, ventilation and fire protection requirements.

C. The NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace and NFPA 1 Fire Code shallbe adhered to for general construction and ventilation requirements.

2.02 LOCATION AND OCCUPANCY SEPARATION

A. Battery systems shall be housed in a noncombustible, locked room or space to preventaccess by unauthorized personnel unless located in a separate equipment room accessibleonly to authorized personnel.

B. In other than assembly, educational, health care, and ambulatory health care occupancies,battery systems shall be located in a room separated from other portions of the building by aminimum of a 1-hour fire barrier. Prove fire barrier with higher rating, as required by Code,where project condition dictates.

C. In assembly, educational, health care, and ambulatory health care occupancies, batterysystems shall be located in a room separated from other portions of the building by aminimum of a 2-hour fire barrier.

D. For occupancies not listed above, fire rating for partitions shall be based on applicable Coderequirements as referenced in the Owners Design Guidelines Element Z2005 Codes andApplicable Regulatory Agencies. Fire rated partitions shall be constructed in accordance withMaster Construction Specifications.

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2.03 ACCESS DOORS AND SIGNS

A. The battery room doors shall open outward. The doors shall be equipped with quick-release,

quick-opening hardware. The fire rating of the door shall be coordinated with fire rating of thewall.

B. Access and entrance to working space about the battery shall be provided as required bySpaces About Electrical Equipment ofNFPA 70.

C. Doors or accesses into rooms, buildings, or areas containing stationary storage batterysystems shall be provided with approved signs.

2.04 CEILINGS AND FLOORS

A. The battery room ceiling shall be slightly pitched toward the exhaust air outlet and shall beconstructed of gypsum board, plaster or other hard, continues surface. The design intent isto ensure that pockets of trapped Hydrogen gas does not occur, preventing the accumulation

of an explosive mixture. This requirement does not apply to Lithium-ion and lithium metalpolymer batteries.

B. Floors shall be of acid resistant construction or protected from acid accumulations. Thisrequirement does not apply to Valve-Regulated Lead Acid(VRLA), lithium-ion, lithium metalpolymer, or other types of sealed batteries with immobilized electrolyte.

C. Facilities where buildings, rooms, or areas containing free-flowing liquid electrolyte inindividual vessels having a capacity of more than 55 gal or multiple vessels having anaggregate capacity exceeding 1000 gal shall be provided with spill control to prevent the flowof liquids to adjoining areas. Liquid tight sloped floors or liquid tight floors with liquid tightdikes shall be provided. Hose bibs shall be provided for flushing and neutralizing spilledelectrolyte and for fire protection. This requirement does not apply to Valve-Regulated LeadAcid (VRLA), lithium-ion, lithium metal polymer, or other types of sealed batteries with

immobilized electrolyte shall not require spill control.

2.05 TEMPERATURE CONTROL AND MECHANICAL VENTILATION

A. Thermal runaway management shall be provided for stationary storage battery systemshaving an electrolyte capacity of more than 100 gal in sprinklered buildings or 50 gal inunsprinklered buildings for flooded lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and valve-regulated leadacid(VRLA) batteries, or 1000 pounds for lithium-ion and lithium metal polymer batteries used forfacility standby power, emergency power, or uninterrupted power supplies. The batteryenvironment shall be controlled or analyzed to maintain temperature in a safe operatingrange for the specific battery technology used. VRLA, lithium-ion, and lithium metal polymerbattery systems shall be provided with a listed device or other approved method to preclude,detect, and control thermal runaway.

B. Air conditioning and ventilation systems must address health and safety as well as roomtemperature and performance requirements of the batteries and other equipment in the room.Exhaust air is necessary to remove the production of hydrogen gas which is produced duringthe battery charging process. Lithium-ion and lithium metal polymer batteries do not requiremechanical ventilation.
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C. Ventilation shall be provided for stationary storage battery systems having an electrolytecapacity of more than 100 gal in sprinklered buildings or 50 gal in unsprinklered buildings forflooded lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and valve-regulated leadacid (VRLA) batteries, or 1000

pounds for lithium-ion and lithium metal polymer batteries used for facility standby power,emergency power, or uninterrupted power supplies. For flooded lead-acid, flooded nickel-cadmium, and VRLA batteries, ventilation is necessary to remove accumulated explosivehydrogen gas produced by the battery charging process. The ventilation fan shall becontinuously on during battery charging process with a ventilation rate of not less than 1CFM/ft

2of floor area of the room, as required by NFPA 1, or using battery manufacturers

recommendations, whichever is more stringent.

D. Where mechanical ventilation is installed, the following shall be required:

1. Interlock means shall be provided such that the initiation of battery charging process willautomatically turn on the ventilation fan. A local manual override means shall beprovided.

2. Airflow sensors shall be installed to initiate an alarm if the ventilation fan becomesinoperative.

3. Control equipment for the exhaust fan shall be located more than 6 ft from the batteryand a minimum of 4 in. below the lowest point of the highest ventilation opening.

4. Where mechanical ventilation is used in a dedicated battery room, all exhaust shall bedirectly to the outdoors.

5. Fans used to remove air from a battery room shall not be located in the duct unless thefan is listed as explosion proof.

E. The supply air in battery charging operations shall be approximately 95% of the exhaustventilation rate to maintain slightly negative room pressure to prevent fumes and gases from

migrating outside the room. Exhaust air shall not pass over electrical equipment unless theequipment is listed for the use. Supply air inlets shall be no higher than the tops of thebattery cells and exhaust outlets at the highest level in the room.

2.06 ELECTRICAL

A. Battery room lighting shall be installed to provide a minimum level of illumination of 30 ft-candles. Luminaires shall not be installed directly over cells or exposed energizedconductors and circuit parts. Switches for the controls of the luminaires shall be readilyaccessible.

B. Emergency illumination shall be provided for safe egress from the battery room.

C. General-purpose outlets shall be installed for the maintenance of the battery. General-purpose outlets shall be installed at least 6 ft from the battery and a minimum of 4 in. belowthe lowest point of the highest ventilation opening.

D. Ventilation fans serving battery charging areas shall be fed by emergency power.

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2.07 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

A. Fire alarm and fire protections systems shall be provided per M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

standard.

B. Metalwork, wiring and all other materials that may be exposed to corrosive solids, liquids orgases shall be corrosion resistant and suitable for battery charging operations.

C. An eyewash and safety shower shall be provided within 25 feet of battery charging operation.

PART 3 - SPECIAL CONTRACT DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

3.01 GENERAL

A. In addition to incorporating all applicable life safety and building code requirements,provisions described within this Element shall be included within the Project ContractDocuments.

PART 4 - PRODUCTS

4.01 GENERAL

A. Refer to Owners Master Construction Specifications. These are available on the OwnersDesign Guidelines website: http://www2.mdanderson.org/depts/cpm/standards/specs.htm

B. Refer to battery manufacturer material safety data sheet.

PART 5 - DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY

Issue Date Revision Description Reviser

12-1118-08 Initial Adoption of Element

Rev. 1 1-27-09 Made various format corrections throughout document.Added applicable conditions for stationary storage batterysystems having an electrolyte capacity of more than 100 gal insprinklered buildings or 50 gal in unsprinklered buildings forflooded lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and valve-regulated leadacid (VRLA) batteries, or 1000 pounds for lithium-ion andlithium metal polymer batteries used for facility standby power,emergency power, or uninterrupted power supplies to 2.05 Aand 2.05 C.

J D

Rev. 2

Rev. 3

Rev. 4

END OF ELEMENT Z2070
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