RO RO AND EV - FOR SEAFARER KNOWLEDGE

 

K Line ro-ro vessel on fire in North Sea

Cause of the fire is Not EV then what else ? continue reading…

The Dutch coastguard is trying to control a fire on car carrier Fremantle Highway, which has killed one member of its crew and left several of the remaining 22 crew members injured. The vessel was reportedly carrying up to 500 EVs among the almost 3,000 vehicles on board, among Mercedes and BMW cars included, prompting questions about EV safety risks.

cause of the fire on the Panama-flagged vessel was still unknown. Despite this, several media reports have speculated that the presence of lithium-ion batteries in the EVs may have contributed to the incident.

 Now it turns out that this is untrue.

Cause of fire still unknown

Even though the cause of the fire is still unknown, the EV theory no longer holds up after the freighter was inspected in the port of Groningen.

The lower four of the twelve decks are essentially undamaged, and about 1 000 cars standing there, including the 498 electric ones, are in good condition.

This is according to the chief of the salvage company Royal Boskalis Westminster NV, Peter Berdowski.

On the contrary, Berdowski also said that the four uppermost decks, on which there were no electric cars, are so damaged .

 

Big fires like this can be prevented

“Big fires like the one on the Fremantle Highway can be prevented if the right fire extinguishing system is installed on board i.e Bio foam.

 “It’s PFAS-free, there are no toxic fumes, and normally the fire is put out before it gets uncontrollable,”

“Installing such a system on big ships implies major investments. Shipping companies don’t want to invest millions of euros on all their ships. They prefer to pay a slightly higher insurance premium and ‘just accept’ that a fire can occur once every ten years on one of their vessels

 

Why do EV batteries catch fire?

 

Lithium ion batteries mainly fail for two different reasons.

The first one is a defect within manufacturing of the battery itself.

The second type of battery failure is usually the result of multiple factors such as :

stress on the battery like vibration

electrical short or simply a fluke.

Lithium ion and lithium metal cells undergo thermal runaway during failure conditions. Thermal runaway result in a rapid increase of battery cell temperature and pressure alongside the release of flammable gas. These flammable gases often result in an eruption of flame ignited by the battery’s high temperature which eventually leads to a fire.

 

Battery components:

 

Battery electric vehicles use lithium ion traction batteries consisting of modules made up of multiple battery cells. These batteries are typically housed within the vehicle’s body. Protected by an anti crash frame. Located in the vehicle floor or undercarriage

Battery chemistry

The battery packs facilitate the chemical process that generate electricity for EV propulsion.

Safety measures:

Electric vehicles are equipped with robust systems that automatically shut down power and isolate the battery pack incase of collision of short circuits.

 

BMS:



it is a critical safety that monitors and controls the battery. It ensures safe operation by tracking various parameters including voltage , temperature, state of charge and state of health, state of power and state of safety for individual.

Technical validation:

Safety tests and validation process are tailored to each manufacturer’s battery pack design and are integrated into production procedure to ensure overall safety and performance.

SOC: Soc represents a battery’s charge level relative to its total capacity

High SOC batteries exhibit more intense reactions during thermal runaway but do not affect total heat release

 

Probablity of fire in EV


Despite common beliefs, statistics suggest that EVs have a lower probability of catching fire than conventional vehicles when drivern over the same distance.

Fire intensity

Full scale fire tests show minimal differences in total heat release between ICEVs and EVs

EV fires are primarly fueled by the car’s body and interior plastics similar to ICEVs

20% from propulsion method

80% from plastics and interior of vehicles

 

Fire fighting:



Extinguishing a lithium ion battery fire is challenging , requiring agents to be injected directly into the battery. Early detection, suppression and boundary cooling are crucial steps in fighting EV fires.

EVs has the risk of re ignition

Precautionary measures to avoid re ignition therefore be taken for and extended period after a fire has been extinguished.

 

Toxic gases:

 



EV fires emit toxic gases , including highly poisonous hydrofluoric gases. However all vehicle fires produce toxic combustion gases necessitating proper protective measures for the fire fighter.

 

Recommendations and best practices



New electric vehicles pose lower fire risks than used ones, as accidents can impact the integrity of the battery pack

Screening and careful inspection of used vehicles are crucial before loading on vessels with special attention to damaged or defective batteries

IMDG special provisions 961 962 outline requirements for vehicles on transport vessels.

Charging onboard

Charging EVs on ro ro passenger ships can be permitted after a comprehensive risk assessment and the implementation of safety measures

Charging on board is considered safer due to activated inbuilt safey mechanism

Guidelines for safe charging onboard are available in the EMSA guidance on the carriage of AFVs in RORO spaces

PCTCs are not equipped with the charging stations

Fire detection and confirmation /verification

Early detection and confirmation of fires are critical for successful firefighting

Technologies like gas detection systems thermal imaging camera, and AI powered systems are recommended for enhancing early detection

Drencher systems have proven effective for fighting fires on RO RO vessels, regardless of whether the fire source is an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) or an EV

Amendments to SOLAS and the fire safety systems (FSS) code include requirements for fire detection , video monitoring and water based fire extinguishing systems on whether decks for vehicle carriage.

Co2 extinguishing system when applied promptly after detection and verification, have been successful in fighting fires on PCTC (pure car truck carrier)

Research is ongoing to evaluate the effectiveness of co 2 extinguishing systems further.

High expansion foam fire extinguishing systems hinder ignition of flammable gas and prevent heat transmission from a burning vehicle if submerged in foam

 Thanks for reading,

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