Work

Examining the Impact of Residential Fire Sprinklers on e-Scooter Fires Initiated by Thermal Runaway of Li-Ion Batteries

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Lithium-ion battery (LiB) powered devices are in use every day and function as designed, however there have been reports of fatal fires involving LiB powered micro-mobility vehicles from around the globe. When a LiB fails and starts a fire, it is typically the result of the battery suffering thermal runaway. Failure of LIBs in micro-mobility vehicles has been shown to create a rapidly growing ignition source that is capable of igniting nearby combustible materials within the room of origin and forcing the room to flashover in less than a minute. The impact of such rapid-fire growth has been reported in the media around the world. This type of rapid-fire growth is almost unprecedented in residential buildings and calls into question: can residential sprinklers control such a rapidly developing fire? This study investigates the impact of such rapid-fire growth in a residential building with both full-scale bedroom and living room fires started from the thermal runaway of a LiB in a sit-on e-scooter. Results from this study quantify the impact of residential sprinklers and clearly show the effectiveness of residential fire sprinklers on fires resulting from thermal runaway of sit-on e-scooters.

Source: Fire Technology

DOI: 10.1007/s10694-025-01808-9

Authors: Daniel Madrzykowski, Charles Fleischmann, Craig Weinschenk

Institution: UL Research Institutes

Language: English

Topic: Fire dynamics and safety research

Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,190