----- Original Message ----- From: Chuck Hursch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 5:04 AM Subject: Re: GEM Fire Burns House of Celebrity
> > Hi Mr.Hursch > > As an assignment for my Engineering degree, I am writing a report on the > > social effects of an engineering enterprise - the Electric Car. > This will cover both the positive, and negative aspects. While I have > found any number of sites offering the positive effects, I was unaware of any > negative, until I read the thread containing your post. > ( http://www.repp.org/discussion/ev/200207/msg01215.html ) > > It would be greatly appreciated if you could suggest any more information > > (covering the issues brought up in the thread in more detail) > that may help. > > Thanking you for your time, > > Cara Fonseca > Hello Cara, > While I have not seen the final report on the GEM fire, nor am I > the most qualified to speak on this issue, I have garnered some > common sense rules and experience during my years of working (as > a hobby and user) with EVs. There has been no final report on the gem fire (to-date, from the local fire dept) per EVWorld articles on this. EVWorld may have an archive of thier 4-part article on this event (or non-event). NO fires, of this sort. Steve [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.evworld.com > With any electrical device that draws a lot of current and/or is > running for an extended period of time, it is very important to > make sure that that device is in safe condition. At a previous > job that I had working for a small software company, the COO > would frequently come around and lay his hands on the computer > equipment feeling for anything getting too warm, such as a > harddrive starting to lose its bearings, a cord worn out, etc. > The COO was exercising preventative maintenance. With my EV, I > exercise this same approach: I will usually check the cordends > and charger after the charging process has been going at least a > few minutes, and things are up to the temperature that they will > likely be for the rest of the run. Anything running hot? Did I > get the plug straight and true into the outlet? Everything is > checked out quickly and efficiently, and if anything is running a > little too warm for my liking (it's typically a cordend if there > is a problem), I make a mental note to deal with it soon. The > only unexpected charging equipment failure I've had in eight+ > years of charging EVs is a rectifier failure in one of the > chargers, and nothing untoward happened except it just quit > charging. Other than that little surprise, things have gotten so > routine in charging my EV that I really don't worry about it > anymore. I worried a lot more than I needed to, but for me, > better safe than sorry. > > With gas cars, the "refueling" is quick and occurs right there in > front of you, ie. it's attended. However, it's a refueling > process that can have a lot go wrong. One little spark around > the gasoline fumes, from whatever source, can cause an explosion, > with the resultant consequences. It can and does happen. > > Anytime you are dealing with enough power and energy to move an > automobile down the road, if something goes awry, there will > likely be consequences. None of it is perfectly safe, whether it > be a gas or diesel car, or an electric. It's just that electrics > are currently under a very high-powered "microscope", so that if > something does go wrong, it makes big news. > > My own feeling about the GEM fire is that one or two things > occurred. The first is possibly that the user of the vehicle had > a damaged charging cord or connector, ie. poor maintenance or > defective part. The second thing is that with an electrical > problem, my impression is that you get more of a smoky fire if > you get a fire at all. Frequently, the problem part just melts > or the resistance goes so high that the current stops. From what > I read of the GEM fire, there were a lot of flames. This strikes > me as more of a flammable fuel fire, such as gasoline. An EV > does not carry gasoline or other flammable fuels. If something > burns in an EV, it's not going to act like a gasoline fire. If > the wall "outlet" got so hot that it started a wall fire, it's > conceivable that the wall insulation or wall parts could have > started to burn, but that again is probably a smoky fire, and not > a flammable fuels fire. Most built-to-code housing has > construction (such as insulation) that is supposed to retard > burning (however, I'm certainly not an expert on the details). > > In a nutshell, the whole thing sounds like it was a case of poor > maintenance or usage habits, a possibility of someone vandalising > the scene with gasoline, and/or blown way out of proportion by > the media. > > Chuck Hursch > Larkspur, CA > www.geocities.com/nbeaa >
