Countries around the world are aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by any means necessary, including adopting electric boats and ships. The United Kingdom and South Korea, for example, have identified eco-friendly boating and cargo shipping as a means to achieve carbon-neutrality. And it’s not only governments investing in electric vessels – consumers are beginning to invest in their own electric boats to combat pollution. Today, the electric boat and ship market is valued at $4.5B and is expected to nearly double to $9B by 2026.
As electric marine vessels add a new dimension to the maritime world, it also adds new challenges for the engineers charged with protecting such vessels from fire hazards onboard. Read on for six things to consider when protecting electrical boats from fire hazards.
Lithium-ion batteries: Lithium-ion batteries are efficient and will be a staple in the future of transportation. However, these batteries can overheat and cause thermal runaway creating a fire hazard. When protecting an electric boat, it’s important to reduce thermal heat early-on before a fire even has a chance to manifest. Using a clean agent solution, like 3M Novec 1230, helps to provide thermal management and reduce the hazard.
Detection time: Fire detection is just as important as fire suppression. Slow fire detection onboard marine vessels can be devastating and can result in a total loss. When equipping an electric boat with a detection system, look for a system that detects not only smoke but off-gases and heat as well. Should a lithium-ion battery overheat, you want to detect it as soon as possible before it catches fire.
On-board space: On-board space is always a top consideration for any marine vessel. Fire suppression systems often come with large footprints, consuming precious space on-board. When protecting electric boats, look for a system like SEVO IFP’s which requires less space compared to inert gas or Co2 systems.
Reliable, redundant, and predictive maintenance: The last thing you need when out at sea is an unreliable fire suppression system. SEVO IFP’s 24/7 remote monitoring through Internet of Things (IoT) technology, helps to detect any failure quickly and ensure systems stay online when you need them most.
Environmental safety: Equipping a marine vessel to combat potential fires requires a system that minimizes disruption and impacts to the world’s oceans. Should a system discharge, you want a system that will not harm marine life, water quality, humans, or the environment. When selecting a system, consider a clean agent, such as 3M Novec 1230, which comes with a global environmental warranty.
Potential damage to onboard assets: In the unfortunate event of a fire onboard or a system discharge, getting back to normal quickly is of the utmost importance. Many systems and extinguishants can take more than three minutes to extinguish a fire, leaving plenty of time to engulf an entire boat. Moreover, most extinguishants are incredibly corrosive and cause immense damage – to the tune of $6.3M average cost of each incident. Using SEVO IFP’s small system footprint, rapid detection, IoT monitoring, and 3M Novec 1230 clean agent extinguishant, fires can be extinguished within 60 seconds, leaving zero residue, zero damage to assets, and zero cleanup.
About SEVO Industrial Fire Protection
SEVO Industrial Fire Protection’s environmentally friendly fire suppression system is used around the world to protect high-value assets inside critical facilities. From aircraft hangars, data centers, and telecom facilities, to government and municipal infrastructure. SEVO IFP offers a full, turn-key solution from engineering, design, permitting, and licensing, to system installation and on-going service.
