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Fire protection experts: Burning e-cars are more difficult to extinguish - Researchers: Parking garages are particularly dangerous

2021-10-09T10:18:30.164Z


Extinguishing burning electric cars poses particular challenges for the fire brigade. In parking garages in particular, the situation can quickly become critical when the electric vehicle is on.


Extinguishing burning electric cars poses particular challenges for the fire brigade.

In parking garages in particular, the situation can quickly become critical when the electric vehicle is on.

Munich - There is a mistake about the danger posed by electric cars: that they catch fire more often than models with conventional combustion engines.

Fire service associations contradict this thesis, are concerned for another reason and also appealed to the responsibility of the automaker in this regard.

When it comes to fire and electric cars, there is another aspect that needs to be addressed: Battery-powered vehicles are more difficult to extinguish in the event of a fire and therefore pose a huge challenge for rescue workers *.

Extinguishing system specialist Rosenbauer has now presented a new process that was specially developed for use in burning electric cars.

Electric cars dangerous?

Rosenbauer extinguishing system promises more security

The new technology enables the battery cells to be cooled directly, explains the Austrian company. Tests were carried out on electric cars from major manufacturers, and specialist Rosenbauer describes the handling for fire services as follows: “The operators stay near the burning vehicle for a very short time and activate the system from a safe distance. The innovative extinguishing system leads the water directly into the battery housing to cool the cells and modules. ”The procedure enables resource-saving extinguishing and minimizes the spread of smoke gases: two points that are known to be a major problem when fighting fires in electric cars.

Because much more water is required to extinguish an electric car than with conventional drives.

Rosenbauer has solved the problem: "The water completely fills the battery housing and thus leads to efficient cooling," is the promise.

All that is needed is the amount of water from a conventional fire engine.

New system for fire fighting in electric cars - Porsche on board

The new extinguishing system was tested with different battery designs and vehicle platforms by factory, professional and voluntary fire brigades in Europe.

“We were very pleased to help develop the extinguishing system together with Rosenbauer and to be able to contribute to its improvement and further development.

It is one of the best and most innovative of its kind for curbing the spread of a battery fire, ”explains Patrick Looß, head of the Porsche * plant fire department in Leipzig.

According to reports, Volkswagen, BMW, Tesla, Volvo and Opel have also made “the latest generation of battery packs” and vehicles available to allow fire tests to be carried out.

Fire hazard with e-cars in parking garages: "Significantly increased risk potential"

Meanwhile, a study by Graz University of Technology clarifies the effects of electric car fires in road tunnels as well as parking and underground garages - and warns of an increased danger situation under certain conditions. Here, too, the conclusion is that the fire potential of e-cars is no greater than that of cars with gasoline or diesel engines. "Our results, however, indicate a significantly increased risk potential from electric vehicle fires in parking garages," explained Peter Sturm from the Technical University. 

According to this, the tunnel systems examined are "fit enough" for the challenge with battery-powered vehicles.

For the fire tests, three electric and two diesel-powered cars were set on fire in a new research center.

The models - from the compact class to the vans - were partly new cars with the latest lithium-ion battery technology.

In the case of burning electric cars *, the fire brigade would only intervene after ten minutes, which led to "valuable data" on the development of the fire.

Fire protection experts: Need more testing

The worst case scenario that the battery would catch fire in the event of a spontaneous reaction had to be brought about artificially. "When the electric vehicles fire, it gets a little warmer, but it is not fundamentally more dangerous in the tunnel," is the statement. Due to the low project budget (250,000 euros), only tunnel fires were simulated, no cases in parking garages. For this, the researchers are demanding more financial resources: Sturm warns that further tests are needed - in order not to "neglect safety-relevant homework". Comprehensive fire experiments would significantly improve the quality of the information: "Even in the case of tunnel fires with electric commercial vehicles, i.e. with e-buses and e-trucks."

Meanwhile, a listed building in Augsburg had withstood a number of disasters, even air raids in World War II.

Until an e-scooter was put down.

(PF)

* Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-10-09

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