ABSTRACT

As the number of electric vehicles rises both in passenger cars and larger transportation vehicles, potential hazards caused by Li-Ion batteries will occur on public roads as well as underground infrastructures like road tunnels or car parks. Fire propagation due to thermal runaway differs from fire spread mechanisms known from conventional fires in these kind of infrastructures. In the course of the research project SUVEREN Real-scale fire tests have been performed and temperatures and exhaust gases caused by these fires, with and without suppression, have been investigated. It was proven that successful firefighting of uncovered Li-Ion battery fires is possible and a matter of suitable design in terms of fire suppression agent, detection system and the installation of the battery.