ENSURING FIRE SAFETY OF PARKING SPACES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES: REGULATORY REGULATIONS AND DESIGN DECISIONS

Abstract

The growing number of electric vehicles is changing the burden on urban infrastructure and placing new demands on parking safety. Enclosed parking spaces are particularly vulnerable due to high traffic density and limited ventilation, which increases the likelihood of large and difficult-to-control fires. The need to integrate battery monitoring systems and improved ventilation is becoming a key factor in reducing the likelihood of major incidents. The rapid growth of the fleet of electric vehicles worldwide is accompanied by an increase in the number of fires involving them. Extinguishing lithium batteries carries unique risks: thermal flare-up, release of flammable and toxic gases, intense heat generation and re-ignition. Existing versions of standard fire extinguishing systems designed for cars with internal combustion engines are often ineffective against ignition of lithium batteries, which poses a significant threat to the safety of people and the safety of property in closed parking lots. This is reflected in the limited effectiveness of existing spray systems, problems with the removal of combustion products, and lengthy work on the restoration of facilities after incidents. Gorenje Only a combination of engineering, organizational and regulatory measures ensures sustainable risk reduction in parking lots for electric vehicles. This requires a fundamentally new approach to the design of fire extinguishing systems and a comprehensive analysis and adjustment of the regulatory framework. The article provides a comparative review of Russian, American and European regulatory documentation in the field of fire extinguishing systems design for enclosed parking lots with electric vehicles, based on the identified shortcomings, modern Russian design solutions are proposed.

Subject: Analysis of regulatory requirements and development of practical design solutions to ensure fire safety of enclosed parking spaces operated by electric vehicles.

Materials and methods: Comparative analysis of current regulatory documents, modeling scenarios of thermal ignition of lithium-ion batteries, evaluation of the effectiveness of detection and extinguishing systems, as well as economic and technical verification of the proposed measures.

Results: Key issues in existing standards and design schemes have been identified; adapted schemes for spraying and increasing the frequency of supply of extinguishing agents have been substantiated; measures for local detection of thermal ignition and recommendations for organizational and technical training of personnel have been proposed; a preliminary assessment of the cost ratio and the expected damage reduction has been carried out.

Conclusions: A comprehensive modernization of design approaches and regulatory framework is needed, taking into account the specifics of lithium batteries: the introduction of targeted engineering solutions, updating operating regulations and staff training will significantly reduce risks to people and property and increase the resistance of parking lots to fires involving electric vehicles.