Journal Article Examines Heat Exposure from Electric Vehicle Fires
The Fire Safety Research Institute, part of UL Research Institutes, published “Heat Exposure from Electric Vehicle Fires: Experimental Results and Analysis” in Fire Safety Journal. Authors include research engineers Parham Dehghani and Nate Sauer, and lead research engineers Matt DiDomizio and Adam Barowy. This study supports the Fire Safety of Batteries and Electric Vehicles research project.
The Hazards of Electric Vehicle Fire Heat Exposure
Electric vehicle fires pose significant safety hazards due to heat generation that can endanger nearby people, vehicles, and structures. The risk is particularly concerning in confined spaces like parking garages, where fires can rapidly spread to other vehicles or structural elements. However, comprehensive heat flux data from EV fires is scarce, limiting the ability to assess these risks. The research outlined in this article addresses this critical gap by analyzing heat flux data collected from two of the EV models tested within the larger project to provide novel data and establish a foundation for future studies.
Experiment Methodology to Obtain EV Fire Heat Flux Data
For these tests, researchers conducted full-scale EV free-burns in a laboratory setting. Fires were initiated using a propane burner placed below the vehicle. The burner was left to operate until the battery and cabin became involved, and thermal runaway was confirmed. As the fires continued to burn, thermal measurements were collected using heat flux sensors positioned parallel to the passenger and driver sides of the vehicles. During data analysis, a point source model (PSM) was examined against heat flux measurements.
Key Findings
- Cabin fires were the main heat source.
- Battery jetting events significantly increased heat exposure before full vehicle involvement.
- PSM underpredicted peak heat flux by:
- Up to 18.3% when using measured flame heights.
- Up to 64.5% when using flame heights estimated from heat release rates.
“This study enabled our team to produce novel data related to EV fires, including the ability to capture battery jetting with high spatial resolution for the first time. Additionally, time-resolved field heat flux data is now available for future modeling purposes for two conventional EVs.”
—Parham Dehghani, research engineer, Fire Safety Research Institute
