Keeping in mind the lack of comprehensive solution to mitigate fire for electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), Dafo Vehicle Fire Protection (Dafo) has developed a full coverage interim multi-zone fire protection solution called safEV in response to the urgent need. The newly-developed suppression agent Forrex EV has been adapted to the specific needs and characters of EV and HEV. Forrex EV is used as one part of the complex system solution and it provides effective cooling capacity to slow the fire development for allowing safe evacuation of passengers.
Li-ion batteries are still a relatively new technology and Li-ion battery safety is a recent research area. Dafo Vehicle Fire Protection is leading one of the most advanced research projects called Li-IonFire funded under the EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation – H2020 – under SME funding scheme. This product was also awarded the ‘Innovation Label’ at Busworld.
Explaining the project details, Holger Pfriem, CEO, Dafo Asia, shared: “We got a clear picture to what happens to a battery prior to entering a thermal runaway as it starts venting. We found that we have to look at the cell leveler, when it comes to the first step of protection of batteries. Before a fire starts the battery will start venting and release over pressure. The over pressure is the mix of several gases including CO (Carbon Monoxide). This knowledge, that as soon as a battery starts venting it will soon lead to a fully developed fire through the thermal runaway. It is a question of how long? as all batteries act differently. They are not of the same type. So, when a battery starts venting CO a fire can be the result sooner or later. The experimental phase is now finalized and hence we are working to make this product ready for serial production in few more months to help reduce the risks and consequences of a thermal incident with Li-ion batteries in buses and trucks.”
Dafo has been in business for over 100 years and has always been in the front line of technology engineering and part of regulatory development on a worldwide basis. Dafo was one of the first companies in the world which started to develop integrated firefighting solutions for vehicles. With more than 165,000 vehicle systems sold worldwide, Dafo has obtained vast experience and knowledge from end users’ installations which have been used as a basis for eliminating false alarms and false releases. As a result of the development Dafo proudly presented different state-of-the-art reliable solutions for the coaches both without vulnerable and pressurized agent containers.
Fredrik Rosen, Business Manager, Dafo Vehicle Fire Protection, said: “By introducing new vehicles on new energy carriers we also introduce new types of risks that is why Dafo keeps transforming existing technologies into something which we can be used in special application and combine different knowledge for safety.”
The key products at Dafo pavilion where BusLine system, Vulcan and of course the safEV together with Forrex EV. The basic components of BusLine system are a linear fire detection wire, piping, nozzles and a non-pressurised cylinder. The cylinder contains the suppression agent Forrex which is specially developed to suppress fires in combustion engines.
The Vulcan system is Dafo’s top of the line brand which has been developed to meet the most challenging demands. The basic components of Vulcan system are a linear fire detection wire, piping, nozzles and a non-pressurised cylinder. Instead of obtaining the pressure for releasing the suppression agent through a standalone Nitrogen cartridge the pressure is obtained from an integrated actuator system in the cylinder.