Felicity ace - on fire off azores
 

Link below to update on the Felicity Ace on fire off the Azores. All 22 crew safe. Photo attached shows damage 2 days ago.

https://www.maritime-executive.com/a...tinues-to-burn

Neville

Lithium batteries were identified as a fire hazard a few years ago, which forced companies making power tools with such batteries to devise ways of making them safe for transportation. Some carriers won't take any rated higher than 12v.

So did the "green lobby" factor in these hazards in the headlong rush to the mythical carbon net zero target?

It's reassuring to see that the entire crew were safe, but any salvage attempt will be hazardous to say the least.

Boeing Dreamliner had a couple of incidents with lithium batteries bursting into flames.

Like fire itself, lithium batteries are a great servant but a terrible master.

Is the Fire Triangle now a Fire Square or a Fire Polygon?

Here in Oz 'they' keep babbling on about 'the fire ground' when there are fires.
They certainly cannot use that term in this case.:jester:

The mechanism of ignition would be interesting to know. The first thing I thought of when media claimed that the batteries were disconnected for transport was that a vehicle with a disconnected battery is not a normal condition. How is it disconnected? (vision of terminalled cable flailing around under bonnet.

Normal condition is with battery connected (and charged). Cars in normal condition are, I suggest, less likely to ignite than cars that are not, for whatever reason, in normal condition.

I am minded of a feeder that almost re-ignited on Nordfarer during clear-up after a collision and various mayhems in the Channel. The (fire alarm) battery did not have enough current capacity to melt the short circuit protection covering a fault but did have enough to start cooking the conductors. In a conventional vehicle the starter circuit will not have short circuit protection but I imagine an electric vehicle does (anyone?). Not implying this was the cause here but one example of a, perhaps, counterintuitive consequence.

Pleased everybody safe. Unlike the Grimaldi ferry fire - fingers crossed for more survivors.

I have been called upon, more than once, to deal with a 'device' with an expanded Lithium ion battery.
With a lap-top or similar it is just a case of replacement and proper disposal of the old.
With tablets or mobile phones the battery is nowadays usually built in and when it expands can even take out the screen.
Being wary of this technology I have, of course, read up a little to ensure my own safety.
It appears that the primary triggers to ignition are either mechanical damage - direct or vibration, or heating - external or internal due to shorting, overcharging etc. or 'Manufacturing defect'.
This has presented me with a dilemma because the built in batteries are held into case with adhesive. The normal method of dealing with this adhesive is heat, not a good idea perhaps. So, gently ease them out trying not to cause any damage...

Regarding Lithium ion batteries in a fire situation. It can self ignite: One cell can overheat and produce inflammable gasses, adjacent cells heat up and a thermal runaway starts, the heat can be enough to ignite the gases. Not only that but as the cathode breaks down it releases Oxygen!
So there you have it: The complete 'Fire triangle' in its own compact box.
The batteries do not contain Lithium as a metal and it is not a class D fire. Apparently this has caused some confusion with partly trained firefighters.
They are in class B - fire involving combustible liquids. But, as mentioned, oxygen reduction is not very effective and the main effort has to be in cooling. On a ship there is only so much water that you can use before the ship stability comes into play!

I read the same on Google - very interesting.

JJ.

As an aside regarding lithium ion batteries and their ilk:
When I order materials from a horological supplier and it contains such batteries, or even capacitors, they cannot send it via Royal Mail but have to use an alternative courier, at additional cost to me.

Felicity Ace now sunk.
More here..
https://gcaptain.com/felicity-ace-si...tlantic-ocean/

Guess that's a convenient end!
Mike.