4 electrical car (EV) fires occurred in Malaysia between January and September this 12 months, reviews The Solar. That is based on Putrajaya fireplace and rescue division fireplace security division director Datuk Khirudin Drahman Hussain, who suggested EV house owners to comply with the producer’s guide to make sure secure operation and scale back the chance of fires.
“EV house owners ought to keep away from overcharging, monitor charging classes and be sure that their automobiles should not uncovered to excessive warmth or particles. It will possibly take from 5 to 24 hours to totally extinguish an EV fireplace, relying on the scale of the battery (kWh) and the fireplace load concerned. Resulting from thermal runaway, the excessive warmth and speedy deflagration course of make EV fires troublesome to extinguish with common ABC dry powder or water except the car is flooded with ice,” he mentioned.
Out of the 4 EV fires this 12 months, one occurred throughout charging, whereas three have been resulting from accidents. When thermal runaway happens, the battery pack overheats and ignites different cells, resulting in an intense and extended fireplace that may launch massive quantities of warmth, poisonous gases and chemical fumes.
At current, water and a particular fireplace blanket are used to cope with EV fires, though they solely serve to forestall the fireplace from spreading and to not extinguish it. It will possibly take a really very long time to place out an EV battery fireplace experiencing thermal runaway, as evident by this case involving a Tesla Semi again in August.
Underneath the brand new fireplace security pointers, EV charging bays in Malaysia will need to have an EV fireplace blanket at a strategic level or a fireplace command centre. Firefighters are additionally present process coaching and publicity to EV fires to learn to cope with them in addition to the additional precautions required, together with carrying full private protecting tools with a set of respiratory equipment.
Khirudin additionally famous that fires involving EV batteries can result in a vapour cloud explosion, with a 70% chance in basements or enclosed areas, finally producing extremely poisonous gases. “Regardless of frequent warnings about fireplace risks, many individuals consider it’s a distant threat that solely impacts others. It’s vital to be additional cautious and alert to forestall potential incidents,” he mentioned.
In the meantime, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) automotive improvement centre director Dr Mohd Azman Abas mentioned EV battery applied sciences are vital in minimising the chance of a hearth. “Whereas most electrical automobiles presently use lithium-ion batteries, which supply excessive vitality density and effectivity, they’re additionally extra vulnerable to dangers akin to overheating, which can lead to thermal runaway,” he defined.
The best way a battery is designed and managed is vital, with techniques needing to make sure secure charging and discharging in addition to keep away from overheating, overcharging or brief circuits. He added that researchers are exploring the mixing of synthetic intelligence (AI) to reinforce the system’s potential to foretell and detect potential points.
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