Full Circle Lithium’s FCL-X effectively extinguishes EV fires
The FCL-X Fire suppression agent proves its efficiency in controlled burns of a Nissan Leaf and a Kia EV9
Full Circle Lithium Corp, USA-based lithium-ion firefighting agent manufacturer, has proved the efficiency of its lithium-ion battery firefighting agent, the FCL-X, by quickly and safely extinguishing controlled burns of two electric vehicles -a Nissan Leaf and a Kia EV9- with no reignition.
Organized by the technical team at FCL-X's U.S. distributor AEST Fire & Safety, with the assistance of regional expert firefighters in Jefferson, Troup, and Harris County, Georgia, FCL demonstrated the effectiveness of FCL-X in two real-life EV fires. The demonstrations used the FCL-X Pro concentrated product, designed for greater efficiency for adding to fire engines' tanks.
FCL-X Pro comes in a box of two pails, containing enough material to mix with 250 gallons of water per pail or 500 gallons per box (two pails). Most fire engines have tank capacities varying from 250 gallons to over 1,000 gallons, which makes the format ideal, depending on the size of the tank on the fire engine.
"FCL-X, a proprietary product under patent application, is the first and only product in the world that we are aware of to truly extinguish lithium-ion battery fires, from small to large EV batteries," says David Laviner, founder and president of AEST. "The fire service and industrial customers alike are years behind in being able to extinguish lithium-ion battery fires effectively. Before the creation of the FCL-X fire suppression agent, there was no great way to extinguish lithium-ion battery fires, and this has cost lives and significant property damage. Now, together with FCL, AEST can change that."
Carlos Vicens, CEO and director of FCL stated, "We are on the verge of something transformative for the fire and safety industry. The FCL-X fire suppression agent has demonstrated time and again that it is uniquely effective in safely extinguishing and mitigating the risks associated with dangerous lithium-ion battery fires. We look forward to having this product in the hands of first responders, and every person that needs it, consistent with our mission to ensure accessibility to this critical safety solution that should ultimately safeguard lives and property."
Controlled EV burns
The first burn
The first burn was performed on a fully equipped and functioning 2014 Nissan Leaf with a 40-kWh battery at approximately 50 percent of battery charge. AEST's team of firefighters ignited the vehicle using a blow torch from beneath the car and started extinguishing the vehicle only after it was fully engulfed in flames and the battery was in a full thermal runaway.
The fire was first attacked with an extinguisher and immediately after with a 30-gallon per minute pressure hose and nozzle. Usually, firefighters respond to these fires with one or two 125-gallon per minute pressure hoses and nozzles. The fire was under control in less than five minutes while using less than 250 gallons of FCL-X.
Another important effect of using FCL-X on an EV fire was the rapid extinguishing of the fire in other parts of the vehicle, excluding the battery, as evidenced by the limited damage to the interior of the vehicle.
The second burn
The second burn was performed on a Kia EV9 with a 77 kWh battery at approximately 95 percent of battery charge. AEST's team of firefighters ignited the vehicle by puncturing the battery from the back seat and started extinguishing the vehicle only after it was fully engulfed in flames and the battery was in full thermal run-away.
In this case, because of the size of the fire, it was immediately attacked with a 30-gallon per minute pressure hose and high-pressure nozzle. Once again, the team demonstrated the efficacy of FCL-X with a deliberately low gallon-per-minute flow rate. The fire was under control in less than six minutes while using approximately 350 gallons of FCL-X.
The effectiveness of FCL-X on the remaining part of the burning vehicle excluding the battery was evident as a large portion of the interior vehicle was almost unaffected by the fire. The burning vehicle reached up to 1,200°F and FCL-X reduced the temperature to approximately 120 -150°F within six mins.
These results are extremely favourable and FCL considers these two controlled burns and past tests a resounding success, specially when compared to current methods. According to the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services, firefighters may need to use up to 40,000 gallons of water on average to extinguish an EV fire, with outliers taking more than 100,000 gallons of water. Additionally, it can take between four and eight hours to extinguish an EV battery fire, and it may smoulder for hours before reigniting if not properly treated.
