S30054 Suppression and Fighting Techniques for EV & Hydrogen Fuelled Fires

The following activities are required for this scope of works:

1. To understand the cause of battery fires in eHGVs:

a. Causes of battery failure

b. Road traffic accident

As part of this analysis the research should investigate if battery age increases the risk of a fire.

2. To understand the current practices expected to be used by the fire service to treat a battery fire:

a. For a single battery powered HGV

b. For a multi vehicle - multi fuel fire road traffic accident involving an eHGV

c. Batteries housed in an accompanying trailer

This element of the project should identify the pollutants emitted during the fire event, contamination and pollutant pathways during and post fire, and the likely duration to deal with the fire to state where the vehicle can be handed over to a third party and not constitute on going fire risk to the safe use of the SRN.

3. What are the impacts, incident management and risks to the operation of the SRN for customers and the road asset for the following road types:

a. Motorway;

b. All purpose trunk roads;

c. Single carriageways;

d. Tunnels;

e. Bridges - consideration of a vehicle both on and under the structure should be evaluated.

As part of this analysis consideration as to whether the impacts of fire event in a eHGV on the SRN is higher, lower or similar to current fire incidents associated with diesel powered HGVs, setting out the reasons for reaching the outcome.

4. To investigate opportunities to mitigate the risk of fire starting and treatment of a fires through the investigation of:

a. Technology opportunity to provide early warning systems of battery cell failure or other aspects of battery system that may lead to a fire

b. Opportunities to minimise the impacts of damage to the batteries caused by a road traffic accident

c. Future advancements in battery technologies

d. Current research and innovations, including fire suppression techniques.

5. To understand safety measures that vehicle manufacturers have incorporated into the design and manufacture of eHGVs to minimise the risk of thermal runaway events for their vehicles.

6. To describe the risk profile for the different techniques used to tackle eHGV fires by road types on SRN for:

a. The operation of the SRN

b. Maintenance of the road asset

c. Treatment of any waste streams from the fire up to point the vehicle no longer poses a fire risk

7. To set out any recommendations for future areas of work, not covered by current or planned areas of research to:

a. Reduce the risk of fires in battery powered HGVs to the SRN

b. Minimise the risk of a battery fire

c. Manage pollutants arising from the treatment of the fire, until the vehicle no longer poses a fire risk.

Consultant's Deliverable: a report covering the items listed in 1 to 7 above.