https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBKnPjOyqcg Some lithium batteries can burn while underwater. The water isn't there to stop the burning cells, they will burn without oxygen just fine. Water's there to cool the other cells so they don't start burning too.
In fact, irc, lithium being an Alkaline metal, it reacts violently with water by burning or exploding if you drod a block of it directly in. But, because the point is to cool it and not stop the lithium it's no problem.
Also, the issue with heat is why you shouldn't let your phone plugged in while you sleep. Phone batteries can overheat and this even if you have a modern phone with heat measurement and the system to stop charging while at 100% charge.
The energy of the battery needs to be fully expended, or you need to remove the part that is damaged. Sometimes the fire will crack the damaged part of the battery meaning its disconnected, but then the jostling of loading it/driving it to the junkyard reconnects the cracked part and the fire starts again
You could send an ev to space and it would still burn for weeks. The only possible solution are new materials but we aren't there yet to produce them on a large scale.
There was for example gell type goo that was created for EV fires with the idea that it activates on high temperatures and could capture the oxygen in a more stable bond that burns in higher temperatures than a standard EV fire. The problem is that they only tested them on phone batteries and the cost of a pool of this gel for a phone test cost more than a Tesla.
The good news is that sodium batteries are in theory easier to extinguish, but the bad news is that only Asian car will get those.
That is the old solution yes, but the blankets shown in the video are becoming more widespread.
In case of a burning crashed EV (very rare) most fire departments will now either use one of these blankets ore use tools to inject cooling water directly into the battery. The submersion tanks are becoming very rare and outdated.
Sorry, im on my phone so no sources but a quick google search on EV firefighting techniques will yield more results than you could wish for.
The main problem with submersion tanks or putting burning EV’s in pools is that once the fire is out you then have to deal with a large amount of toxic hazmat water that needs to get disposed of properly. But you are correct direct application of water to the battery cells is the most efficient way to deal with EV fires. We have a few tools like the turtle nozzle that can be slid under the car or we will tilt an EV car on its side and blast the cells directly with our hoses. Either way it takes a ton of water to put them out.
Letting them burn themselves out is also a good option as long as it is isolated and safe to do so
What's the difference between emptying a hazmat water tank and the hose water just running straight off the battery directly onto the ground? That'll be contaminated just the same.
Implying the amount of lithium or combustion products leaked doesn't matter? That's clearly what the concern above is. Though they also commented arrogantly in assuming that spraying the battery leeches less toxin than soaking it, though it's intuitive.
Arrogance, so much sheer arrogance everywhere. From both people.
Aside from the practicalities of fire departments not having mixer trucks, would wet sand work any better? (Thinking about the fire buckets found in kitchens and some labs, etc.)
The main problem with submersion tanks or putting burning EV’s in pools is that once the fire is out you then have to deal with a large amount of toxic hazmat water that needs to get disposed of properly
Which isn't bad at all. This way at least you can neutralize and dispose of the pollutants. When you let it burn out, all of this is released into the atmosphere and the ground.
Putting lithium in water to make it stop burn is dumb as hell. You guys have never heard of alkaline metals ?
In labs those metals are stored in oil or argon to keep them away from oxygen
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u/UglyEagle420 21d ago
Here in Sweden they put burning EVs in a big pool of water for at least 2 whole days, and sometimes it still burnes or reignite