32 thousand US gallons to put out a burning Tesla
- Thread starter Petrol Pete
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I don't know what Tesla batteries are made of (is it Li-ion?), but on a general note some substances contain oxygen (e.g. solid rocket fuel...) and when they catch fire it can't be extinguished simply by depriving it of external oxygen (smothering). This might be the case with Tesla batteries, I don't know, but this can explain why foam or powder won't work but lots of water will (cooling down the batteries bellow the material's ignition point). Just a guess, though.
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We specify fire detection and prevention systems for datacentres, including VESDA systems etc.
The simple rules for fire extinguishers are: water is a no-no on electrical equipment, powder works best but will destroy the equipment, CO2 is the thing to use on server racks.
(This is for fire extinguishers.... other systems we use work differently, including replacing the oxygen in the room with an inert gas, or very fine water vapour/mist which reduced the temperature without damaging the equipment).
That said, we obviously don't do the actual design, this is down to fire safety consultants, we only specify what systems the site should have.
The simple rules for fire extinguishers are: water is a no-no on electrical equipment, powder works best but will destroy the equipment, CO2 is the thing to use on server racks.
(This is for fire extinguishers.... other systems we use work differently, including replacing the oxygen in the room with an inert gas, or very fine water vapour/mist which reduced the temperature without damaging the equipment).
That said, we obviously don't do the actual design, this is down to fire safety consultants, we only specify what systems the site should have.
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Diesel oil fires (like all oil fires) can be very very nasty. The Ladbroke Grove rail crash is a good example. The Mont Blac tunnel fire (margarine) is another. Petrol fires are probably the easiet to deal with, relatively speaking (bar the explosion risk).
Dryce
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
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They're used to it. Profesionals. Behind the scenes they clearly put effort into adapting to the kind of problems they face.
Consider that a modern car contains multiple explosive airbags. The fire service has to be able to work around these. And consider that when dealing with commercial vehicles there are hazardous cargoes and materials.