Flexible Water Containment Wall for EV Fire Extinguishing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Extinguishing fires in electric or hybrid vehicles is challenging due to inaccessible batteries and the need for excessive suppression agents, and existing methods are impractical in confined spaces like parking halls or ships.
Innovation Solution
A flexible membrane wall element with cavities filled by filler material and intumescent material to form a containment pool for firefighting water, which can be pumped to surround the vehicle and direct water jets inside, with controlled water collection and treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a burning electric or hybrid vehicle is submerged into water using a crane and large water pool, then the fire can be reliably extinguished, but the process becomes difficult or impossible in confined spaces like parking halls or ships
Solution Approach 1:
The water containment system is divided into modular components: a collapsible wall element that can be assembled around the vehicle, a separate water supply system, and a collection system. This segmentation allows the system to be deployed in confined spaces without requiring a single large water pool or heavy crane equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall element is constructed from flexible material that can be collapsed for storage and deployed around the vehicle to contain water. This flexible structure enables the system to adapt to confined spaces while still providing effective water containment for fire extinguishing.
2Reliability
If excessive amounts of suppression agent are used to cool the battery and prevent re-ignition, then the fire can be extinguished, but the complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the vehicle's own structure (the vehicle body and battery compartment) as part of the containment system. The wall element is positioned to utilize the vehicle's existing geometry, reducing the need for additional complex structures and minimizing the amount of suppression agent required.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall element extends vertically along the vehicle, creating a three-dimensional containment space that improves water distribution and cooling efficiency. This vertical dimension allows for more effective fire suppression with reduced overall resource consumption compared to traditional horizontal pooling methods.
3Ease of operation
If a wall element is erected around the burning object to contain water, then water can be directed inside and controlled collection is enabled, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wall element serves multiple functions simultaneously: it contains water for cooling the battery, directs water flow inside the vehicle, collects used water for environmental safety, and provides structural support. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems and minimizes overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall element is designed to be nested within or around the vehicle structure, with the water collection system nested within the containment space. This nested arrangement optimizes space utilization and reduces the apparent complexity by integrating multiple subsystems into a unified structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively extinguishes fires in vehicles by containing water, preventing re-ignition, and allows for controlled water management and environmental safety.
Implementation Method 1
A pressurized bottle comprising intumescent material for supplying the intumescent material to the one or more cavities, wherein the intumescent material acts as the filler material
Implementation Method 2
A lower edge of the wall element is configured to provide a sealed joint between the lower edge of the wall element and a surface on which the object on fire is located
Implementation Method 3
conducting firefighting water to a pool constituted by the wall element and a surface on which the object is located
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
An extinguishing system comprises a wall element (101) for surrounding an object (112) on fire. The object can be for example an electric or hybrid car that comprises a battery. A lower edge of the wall element is configured to provide a sealed joint between the lower edge of the wall element and a surface (113) on which the object on fire is located. The wall element and the surface constitute a pool that can be filled with firefighting water to extinguish the fire in the object.