A mobility or electric scooter, is a power operated mobility aid, ergonomically designed much like a motor scooter. It’s officially classified as a power-operated vehicle with a seat over three or four small rubber wheels. A Li-Ion battery pack is stored at the base of the scooter that can be charged using a standard electric household socket. The first mobility scooter was introduced in 1954 and was offered by the US retail giant Sears as an electric wheelchair.
Fire incidents involving mobility scooters are most frequently caused by the unattended overcharging of their Li-Ion batteries. The electrical mismanagement of the Li-Ion battery, which may have already been damaged from the mechanical shocks and vibrations sustained during everyday use of the scooter, can trigger a thermal runaway event. The resulting fire and explosions can develop temperatures in excess of 800oC within minutes, allowing almost no time for action. The fire risk as well as the health risk from the toxic off-gasses released during electrolyte decomposition can prove to be potentially life threatening.
With mobility scooters becoming more and more popular, the associated fire risks need to be mitigated. The mission is to design and install a bespoke, automatic fire suppression system that internally protects the engine bay which houses the mobility scooter’s motor and Li-Ion battery pack. The system should be compact, since the enclosure to be protected is small, and most importantly it must be proven to efficiently suppress Li-Ion battery fires.
FirePro technology has proven its efficiency and effectiveness in suppressing Li-Ion battery fires through tests conducted by both accredited laboratories and Li-Ion battery manufacturers. In the event of a Li-Ion battery fire, the FirePro agent suppresses the ongoing fire and neutralizes the off-gasses, ultimately allowing the temperature of the battery to drop below the threshold necessary for thermal runaway to sustain itself. FirePro Generators are robust, have low maintenance requirements and most importantly for the case in hand, have a small footprint in terms of space requirement, making them an optimal solution.
The client’s engineers chose the FirePro fire suppression solution since it combined all the operational and technical parameters required for this particular risk. FirePro Benelux personnel designed and completed the installation within hours. FirePro systems are now quietly protecting these vehicles and will require minimum maintenance during their 15-year lifetime. In case of a fire incident, they will suppress fire and reduce danger to a minimum.
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