SAFETY
four factors that can influence these types of fires: over/undercharging; mechanical influences – eg crashes or failures; exposure to heat; and production fault – where particles enter battery cells.
Each of these factors can lead to an internal short-circuit, which will put the li-ion batteries at risk of thermal runaway – a volatile state where temperature increases rapidly and, in turn, increases the risk of fire – in addition to toxic gas emissions and potential explosions. Termal runaway is especially
dangerous, as the fires it creates are often extremely difficult to extinguish without submerging a vehicle’s battery in water for an extended period of time – which isn’t always possible in a mining environment. Tese risks require a unique solution that can detect toxic gases ahead of an increase in temperature. Traditional detection solutions are often unable to identify thermal runaway until this stage – which can be too late to prevent it from progressing.
AUTOMATION As a result of the Covid pandemic, automation has grown rapidly in mining, as driverless vehicles supported remote operations during lockdowns. Tis allowed mines to increase uptime and reduce health risks for those working in the mine, and its application has continued beyond the pandemic. However, with fewer personnel on site or operating mining equipment from
further away, detecting a potential fire can be more complicated. Tis means that automated detection and suppression is essential to increase the response time, in addition to decreasing the risk of downtime and damage.
HOW CAN MINE OPERATORS REDUCE THE RISKS? First, the operator needs to understand their mine’s individual risks. As the technology develops, it’s important to
carry out a risk assessment to define the necessary fire detection, as well as suppression, solutions. It’s important to understand the mine as a whole, as new types of vehicles and machinery are introduced. Tese risk assessment maps should understand how a battery’s risks will change throughout its lifetime, and mine operators should update their risk assessments accordingly. Every vehicle, electric or diesel, automatic or manual, has its own unique risks, and these should be addressed when choosing a fire protection solution. However, when it comes to EVs, it’s extremely important that the suppression system is appropriate for the type of battery it is protecting. Consider the suppression agent, reaction time and ensure that manual activation is possible, in case of an automatic system failure. Suppression solutions should be
tailored to suit unique risks effectively. If a suppression solution isn’t adapted to an individual site environment and its risks, this can cause false system activations, resulting in unnecessary downtime. To minimise downtime while maximising safety, a suppression solution that reflects all of a site’s unique risks is key.
Dafo fire supression technology
Holger Pfriem is with Dafo Vehicle Fire Protection.
www.dafo-vehicle.com
www.engineerlive.com 31
Automated detection and supression technology is key as mines move towards autonomy
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