Brandversuch mit E-Fahrzeugen in Tunnelanlagen

Translated title of the contribution: Full Scale Fire Tests with Battery Electric Vehicles in Road Tunnels

Peter-Johann Sturm*, Patrik Fößleitner, Daniel Fruhwirt, Andrea Schirmer, Bernhard Reinwald, Manuel Kühlbacher, Robert Wenighofer, Simon Franz Heindl, Thomas Nöst, Philip Leonhardt, Alexander Hödl, Stefan Krausbar

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In the framework of the BRAFA research project, the effects of e-vehicle fires on the safety of tunnel users and the tunnel infrastructure are examined, and methods for fighting fires are evaluated. The basis for this are full-scale fire tests carried out at the tunnel research centre “Zentrum am Berg” in Austria. First results based on the full scale fire tests of battery packs and complete vehicles, it can be concluded that important parameters such as the heat release rate and the temperatures of such fires are similar to those of conventionally powered vehicles. However, the increased release of harmful gases such as hydrogen fluoride and phosphoric acid are considered critical as well as the fact that attempts to extinguish the fire with
‘typical’ amounts of water do not lead to the desired results.This shows that an effective injection of water into the battery casing has very beneficial effects on preventing/suppressing the thermal propagation of the fire. In the remaining period of the research project, a detailed data analysis as well as an extrapolation of the results to fire incidents in larger electric vehicles (e.g. buses) and the integration of the results into the tunnel risk analysis models
are due.
Translated title of the contributionFull Scale Fire Tests with Battery Electric Vehicles in Road Tunnels
Original languageGerman
Pages (from-to)1-7
Number of pages8
JournalBerg- und hüttenmännische Monatshefte
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 20 Nov 2020

Keywords

  • E-mobility
  • Battery electric vehicles
  • Fire tests
  • Road tunnels

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
  • Automotive Engineering
  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering

Fields of Expertise

  • Mobility & Production

Treatment code (Nähere Zuordnung)

  • Experimental
  • Application

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