The invention of electric vehicles has been a great advancement for the transport sector, however, these vehicles are reported to pose a potential risk on the road. Reports reveal that lithium-ion batteries present in electric vehicles can catch fire and cause a fire in some accidental cases. It has been challenging for the emergency responders to deal with that fire; therefore, some teams of experts have designed a new extinguisher to handle the task.
The new EV fire extinguisher can be placed under the vehicle, and it can be operated from a control unit while standing at a safe distance. The extinguisher can also be kept on the top of the vehicle, luggage compartment, or in the interior to ensure the best access to the battery. As soon as it is activated from the control unit, it can drive the piercing nozzle into the battery pack while ensuring direct pumping of water to cool down heated battery modules. It is one of the most effective ways to bring down the temperature of the batteries while avoiding the chances of serious damage.
Experts reveal that the ability to fill water directly into the battery is an efficient way to fight the fire as compared to using a hose from outside. Rosenbauer, an Australian firm that designed this innovative extinguisher, noted that this new design offers plenty of benefits. On one side, it allows crews to control electric vehicle fires faster; it also reduces the generation of harmful smoke as well as gas release. With this advanced system, firefighters can handle the incidents of fire from a safe distance, almost 25 feet far from the car, and manage all the operations from the control unit.
Once the fire incident has occurred, it is good to keep the extinguisher unit attached to the vehicle at the time of transportation. Usually, the damaged batteries can catch fire again even if they are extinguished at the initial stage. Therefore, when the unit is attached to the battery, it can allow easy pumping of water whenever needed.
This new extinguisher system has been tested by several organizations to ensure that it fits perfectly into their service requirements. The head of the Securities, Fire, and Safety Department in Germany recently stated that this is one of the most innovative and reliable extinguishers to control electric vehicle battery fires. The operation of these modules is safe, effective, and user-friendly as well.
As a higher number of electric cars are coming on the road, this can be rated as a flexible solution to ensure a safe experience for the end-users. Alternatively, when the market for solid-state batteries grows, their low flammability can be another great solution to avoid fire issues. However, until this advancement becomes a mainstream solution in the market, the firefighters need to stay equipped for emergency situations, and the recently developed fire extinguishers can be a reliable gear for such circumstances. The fire service providers need to adapt to this new system.
Citation
https://www.thedrive.com/tech/43172/ev-fire-extinguisher-pumps-water-straight-into-the-batteries
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