Electric vehicles (EVs) are statistically less prone to catching fire than internal combustion-powered vehicles. The difference is that when a combustion car catches fire, it can be extinguished with relative ease, whereas EV fires are chemically fueled and lead to thermal runaway, meaning a blaze that’s almost impossible to put out. But Porsche is one step closer to stopping EV fires in their tracks, as the automaker has patented an extinguishing system for EV batteries with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) that mitigates many of the common issues present with EVs today.
Containing Coolant And Fire Suppressant Within The Battery Housing
Extinguishing EV fires is a known problem for emergency responders, with the only effective method until now being to submerge the entire vehicle in a vat of water for days at a time. Simply dousing the flames once is not enough, as the high potential energy within EV batteries leads to reignition if the battery is damaged. But submerging an entire car for an extended period of time is both resource-intensive and guaranteed to result in the car being written off due to water damage.
Porsche’s invention proposes a system by which a coolant/extinguishing fluid can be propelled through the battery housing, dousing the elements at risk of igniting without submerging the entire car.
As Simple As Plugging In A Hose
To do this, a dispersion system is present within the battery housing to ensure an even flow of the extinguishing fluid throughout either a portion of or the entire battery. As for where the extinguishing fluid would come from, there are a few avenues.
A fire suppressant system built into the vehicle could be used – similar to suppression systems seen in race cars. But Porsche proposes an alternative: a nozzle hidden within the door sill that can be plugged into to flood the battery. Instead of lifting the entire car and dumping it into a vat of water, emergency services arriving to the scene of an EV fire could simply plug a fire hose into the sill-mounted receptacle and flood the battery from there.
By containing the extinguishing liquid within the battery pack, this invention limits the damage caused to the rest of the vehicle, possibly enabling it to be repaired with as little as a replacement of the malfunctioned battery. It also makes it easier to deal with the fire, without the need for specialized equipment like cranes and tanks of water.
Porsche may not have found a way to prevent battery fires from ever occurring, but with this latest invention, it’s at least found a way to minimize the damage that occurs if such a blaze does arise.
