Stingray One

The challenge

Today battery electric vehicles (BEV) are part of our daily life. Despite their benefits also threats emerge from this new technology. When a battery is damaged or overheating, a thermal runaway of the battery can occur, ultimately causing the entire vehicle to catch fire. Battery problems can also happen while charging at charging stations or e.g., due to a technical defect while simply parked in a parking garage. In all these situations, the fire cannot be easily fought by using standard extinguishing methods unlike with internal combustion engine vehicles, given the energy content of a modern high voltage battery pack. New solutions are needed to protect first responders, people, and properties alike.

The AVL Solution

With the new product AVL Stingray™ One, vehicle battery fires are brought under control safely, efficiently, and quickly. The system directly cools the battery from the inside and thereby quickly stops the chain reaction (thermal runaway) of the battery cells. Even though a healthy battery pack should never be penetrated,
extreme situations might require extreme measures. Batteries are usually installed underneath the passenger compartment in the vehicle floor and therefore easily accessible for first responders. If the possibility of a thermal runaway is suspected, e.g., after an accident, the system can already be installed pro-actively inside the passenger cabin, regardless of the position of the vehicle. If required, AVL Stingray™ One delivers the extinguishing water precisely to where it is needed most by a single penetration of the battery with a specific needle, that has been developed to work with BEVs and effectively fights the fire at the point of origin. The extinguishing water typically used by fire brigades can easily carve its way through the battery pack inside the housing due to the water pressure and the open inner structure of the battery enclosure. After cooling the battery from within, the extinguishing water uses the venting openings of the battery to leave the housing without any additional and potentially dangerous pressure increase. This revolutionary, patented system is characterized by its safe, efficient, and simple handling.