Fire Protection Research Foundation

Request for proposals issued for electric vehicle battery hazard emergency response best practices

A Request for Proposals for Project Research Contractor has been issued for a Best Practices for Emergency Response to Incidents Involving Electric Vehicle Battery Hazards (PDF, 335 KB) research project. Proposals should be submitted to Kathleen Almand by August 13, 2012, 12:00 pm EDT.

The foundation seeks this research contractor to implement a research program to develop the technical basis for best practices for emergency response procedures for EV battery incident firefighting - PPE, suppression methors and agents, and clean-up/overhaul operations. 

Learn more about this request for proposals. 

The Foundation periodically issues requests for proposals for the conduct of research. To automatically receive notification of these requests, please e-mail Eric Peterson.

Read the new issue of the Fire Protection Research Foundation newsletter

The new issue of Research Foundation News includes news on a new project that looks at best practices for emergency response to electric vehicle battery incidents. The project will include full-scale fire tests and a compilation of best practice information on post-incident procedures.

The issue also includes:

• a call for a project contractor to oversee a review of best practices for the installation and an all-hazard assessment of photovoltaic panels installed on roofs
• news about an upcoming workshop on inspection and testing frequencies for fire protection systems
• a new project on the performance of water additives for fire control and vapor mitigation
• a new report on the performance of light sources used in emergency notification appliances for inclusion in NFPA 72.

Subscribe today to automatically receive our bi-monthly Fire Protection Research Foundation newsletter. It's free, informative, and will keep you up to date on new projects and reports, planning developments, upcoming activities

Best Practices for Emergency Response to Electric Vehicle Battery Hazards project launched by Foundation

In the light of recent incidents involving electric vehicle battery hazards, the Foundation, with support from the Departments of Energy and Transportation and the Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers, has initiated a project to develop the technical basis for first responder emergency response procedures. The project will include full-scale fire tests and a compilation of best practice information on firefighting operations and post-incident procedures.

The project comes out of NFPA's partnership with the DOE, begun in 2009, to develop and implement a comprehensive training program for emergency response to electric vehicle (EV) incidents. Currently this program provides safety training to 25,000 emergency responders in order to prepare them for their role in safely handling incidents involving EVs.  However, there is a lack of data to draw on to address the potential hazards associated with damaged EV batteries.

Dowload the project prospectus.

 

Education session highlights potential hazards of lithium-ion batteries

A well attended education session this morning addressed a number of hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries, which are probably powering the smart phone, laptop, or other electronic device on which you’re likely reading this blog post.    

R. Thomas Long with Exponent, the engineering and scientific consulting firm, presented findings from the recent report, Lithium-Ion Batteries Hazard and Use Assessment, commissioned by the Fire Protection Research Foundation. The battery's makeup, noted Long, includes a flammable solvent that aids ion movement during battery charging and discharging. Another cause for concern is the rapid self-heating of a cell which Long referred to as "thermal runaway" that can potentially lead to a fire spreading to other battery cells or the release of flammable vapors.

Additional research already in the works includes full-scale fire tests that aim to identify storage commodity classifications and effective suppression strategies. Firefighter safety issues related to lithium-ion batteries will also be examined. 

Read the NFPA Journal feature story for more information on the Foundation report and partnerships that have formed to address battery hazards.

-Fred Durso, Jr.

Workshop on emergency responder PPE for hybrid and electric vehicles held at NFPA

Attendees listen to panelists; Bill Giorgis, Terry McDonnell, Ron Moore and Andrew Reardon discuss emergency responder PPE concerns. 

There is significant difference between the PPE used by the fire service for fighting fires and use by electrical professionals for handling energized electrical equipment. The use of improper PPE for a specific hazard introduces significant hazards to the user. Today's workshop looks at the use of PPE by emergency responders during emergency events involving electrically energized equipment in hybrid and electric vehicles. 

The Fire Protection Research Foundation today held a workshop to seek to develop guiding priciples and recommended action steps for minimizing the risk to emergency responders working on EVs. Interested stakeholders attended including those in the fire service, electrician and utility professions, EV and EV battery manufacturers, PPE providers, EMS, law enforcement and tow/salvage organizations. 

Attendees listened to a presentation on current emergency responder EV tactics, a panel on various emergency responder PPE concerns and risks, an overview of available EV emergency response guides, heard about PPE application criteria, fire service and electrical PPE differences, and the PPE enforcement infrastructure. They also all participated in a discussion to identify specific applicable hazards when considering PPE for EV response, analyze and prioritize the identified hazards and then develop guiding priciples and recommended action steps. 

A report of the results will be available shortly on the FPRF website. 

Register now for 2nd Annual Electric Vehicle Safety Standards Summit; savings for early registration

 
Registration is now open for the “2nd Annual Electric Vehicle Safety Standards Summit” on Tuesday and Wednesday 27-28 September 2011 in Detroit, MI.  The two day meeting will be held at the Marriott Detroit Renaissance Center Hotel, 400 Renaissance Drive, Detroit, MI. Similar to last year’s successful Summit, this year’s event is again co-hosted by NFPA and SAE International.  We’re also pleased to welcome our key note speaker, Robert C. Lange, Principal and Group Vice President of Exponent, Inc.

This year’s Summit will address the following topics:

• What’s new with vehicles and batteries
• Trends in the EV marketplace
• A successful EV fleet case study
• EV charging infrastructure and the NEC
• A case study of an actual EV related emergency event
• Concerns for indirect EV issues such as bulk battery storage and transportation 

A summary report of last year's Summit is available on the Foundation’s website. 

If you’re a safety representative for vehicle and equipment manufacturers, a fire protection specialist, a member of an electrical safety organization and/or an emergency responder, or part of a governmental entity at the federal, state and local level involved in enhancing consumer safety and interagency communications, you don’t want to miss this important summit. 

Please join us.  We hope to see you there!

Register here. Save $100 by registering before September 16th, 2011!  Also, find additional information including lodging, available through SAE.

-Casey Grant

Lithium Ion Battery Storage Hazard Assessment

Lithium ion battery cells and small battery packs (8 to 10 cells) are in wide consumer use today.  Superior capacity has driven the demand for these batteries in electronic devices such as laptops, power tools, cameras, and cell phones.  In the very near future, vehicle manufacturers will bring electric or hybrid electric vehicles to market using large lithium ion battery packs.  The Research Foundation has initiated a project to review the  literature on the hazards associated with lithium ion batteries in storage to provide baseline information for a hazard assessment and further research plan.  A workshop on the topic will present findings midyear.