ADVERTORIAL SAFE AND SECURE
Ben Parnwell from LiVault looks at the new fire safety guidance notices and the necessary need for dedicated fireproof containers
he recently published MGN 681 (M) is creating waves in the marine industry. This UK-MCA protocol is a direct response to the danger caused by the increase in both the number and capacity of Lithium-ion (LI-ion) batteries onboard. Other flag authorities have stated that this guidance will be incorporated into future revisions of their Yacht Codes and strongly recommend that the guidance contained in MGN 681 (M) is followed on all yachts carrying small electric powered craft immediately.
T
The guidance contained in MGN 681(M) is intended to outline best practices related to design, equipment and outfit of dedicated spaces onboard, and to increase safety for handling, charging and stowage of LI-ion batteries and craft.
Industry groups estimate 16 total losses due to fire between August 2021 and August 2022 of which around half have not yet had their cause established; one potential explanation for the unexplained fires could be lithium-ion battery fires.
LI-ion battery fires can be self-sufficient and continue to burn without access to additional oxygen. They may also continue to generate high amounts of heat following fire-extinction and are at risk of re-ignition. Thermal runaway is the event most associated with catastrophic LI-ion battery fire. This feedback loop causes exponential heat rises and potential fire-spread or explosion. Once thermal runaway has begun, the battery fire will rapidly increase in intensity and become very difficult to suppress.
This presents a real danger for crew who will need to deal with a fast evolving 800C fire as well as a highly toxic smoke-gas mixture containing hydrofluoric acid. This acid can enter the body through the skin, causing no pain, but even small amounts are lethal. In addition, cells can explode out of the battery at speeds of up to 300m/ sec - the speed of a bullet.
These fire facts put the current onboard firefighting protocols and their associated risks in real focus. Many yachts today still have a “throw it over the side” approach.
This involves crew members donning firefighting suits and respirators before using a LI-ion fire blanket to physically pick up and discard the burning and explosive items into the sea. The speed of these fires alone could invalidate these measures completely and it would be a massive risk to life and limb for any crew involved, not to mention the environmental impact.
So, what is the answer to this burning issue? The answer as given by MGN 681 (M) is the installation onboard of dedicated, fireproof containers for storage and charging of LI- ion batteries.
LiVault (
www.livault.com) has been created in partnership with the leading manufacturer of safety solutions for charging and storing LI-ion batteries with the aim of providing technical advice and solutions for yachts of all sizes to manage the risk presented by these fires.
Currently, the only certified solution on the market is the RACLAN active box. It was developed for the home and commercial markets and is rated up to 1.75kWh. This box has proven the patented technologies within and gained DMT certification.
2024 will see the launch of the larger marine RAMBSS modular system which is rated up to 6kWh and comes in three height options for all watertoys with integrated or removable LI-ion batteries.
The modules are waterproof and designed for operation on superyachts. They can be installed in 2 or 3 days and adapted to the various types and numbers of watertoys on board. Features include: A multi-nozzle extinguishing system with emergency power supply; Integrated cooling & ventilation with filtering for toxins; Intelligent touchscreen and Wifi for active monitoring; Made from ballistic composite with blast buffering elements. RAMBSS Modules are certified by DMT TÜV Nord and surpass compliance with the MGN 681 guideline.
For more details visit
www.livault.com
ONBOARD | WINTER 2024 | 125
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204
