Has anyone discovered a way of putting out a battery fire efficiently?

[physics34]

Moderator note: Split from

Siemans bidding to build new trains

Just spotted this on the BBC website. A train maker is promoting the idea of battery-powered trains that could be built at its East Yorkshire factory. Siemens Mobility said the new models would replace diesel locomotives and run on tracks with no overhead electrification. The firm said if...

www.railforums.co.uk

Has anyone discovered a way of putting out a battery fire efficiently?

This worries me.

 

[Sorcerer]

Has anyone discovered a way of putting out a battery fire efficiently.? This worries me.

Battery fires aren't by any means impossible to put out, but they can be quite hard to deal with. Fire safety is something I have somewhat worried about with battery-powered trains as well, but I also trust that the industry which has a very keen eye for safety has properly assessed the risks and concluded battery fires are highly unlikely and have adapted the rolling to be able to ensure passenger safety in such an event.

 

[Ken X]

This depends very much on the battery chemistry employed. Some are more prone to thermal runaway than others. I was lucky enough to have a tour of the new fire service training centre at Platinum House, Horsham recently and battery technology is very much at the forefront of their training and research. The manufacturers of batteries and vehicles which use them are providing information to allow the fire service to access data in real time as required on site.

The trainers view was that in road vehicles the risks of fire were similar to internal combustion vehicles but the methods of combating said fire do vary according to battery type.

I guess the batteries on a rail vehicle would be underslung so suitable separation from the passenger compartment would be eminently achievable.