Various electrical fires and firefighting methods

Introduction. Fires of voltage-carrying electrical units are most dangerous and difficult to put out. Personnel of fire emergency response units are at high risk of electric shock when extinguishing such fires. Electrical units have recently obtained a new are of application, that is, electric cars. Electric car design entails the use of high-capacity batteries and high voltage electrical equipment, which pose a higher fire hazard. The objective of this article is to analyze potential assets to be protected and assess existing electrical fire extinguishing methods to substantiate principal areas of research into design of safe fire extinguishing systems designated for electrical units installed on motor vehicles.

Main (Analytical) part. The fire extinguishing of the items, that have electrical units to be extinguished without any electricity outage, must be performed by the fire departments that have appropriately trained and equipped personnel. However, in the event of an electric car fire, it is impossible to forecast which fire department will be nearby and how well it will be equipped. The design features of electric vehicles show that potential sources of the fire hazard include lithium batteries and electrical circuit elements. These factors explain the need to consider the problem of extinguishing self-contained electrical fires inside motor vehicles from the standpoint of electrical safety. It is suggested to identify the fire extinguishing method in furtherance of the analysis of a set of principal fire extinguishing methods with regard for the design of efficient firefighting appliances that ensure safe extinguishing of electric car fires.

Conclusions. It is expedient to use the pulse application of a fire-extinguishing agent that prevents current leakage while extinguishing various types of electrical appliances, including those installed on motor vehicles. The effects of exothermic reactions, involving lithium-containing elements, were not analyzed when solving this problem. This research will serve as the basis for conceptual technological solutions designated for fire emergency response units responsible for extinguishing electric car fires.

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