Analysis of the Structural Responses of Adjacent Components to the Operation of a Polymer-Based Explosive Fire Suppression System

With the rapid expansion of electric vehicles, the risk of battery fires has become a critical safety concern. Conventional suppression methods, such as submerging battery packs in large water tanks, are inefficient due to long response times and potential secondary hazards. This study introduces a polymer-based fire suppression tube system that automatically activates under specific conditions. The system utilizes energy from a C4 explosion to rupture the tube, rapidly releasing the extinguishing agents stored inside. Explicit dynamics simulations in ANSYS Workbench 2024 R2 were conducted by varying tube thickness from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm to evaluate the structural response of adjacent components. Three indices were examined: total deformation, deformation of the adjacent plate, and deformation of the tube itself. The results showed that thinner tubes (0.5 mm) allowed for greater propagation of blast energy, increasing the risk of damage, whereas thicker tubes (≥1.5 mm) effectively confined the explosive energy and reduced shock transmission. These findings confirm that tube thickness is a key parameter governing blast-induced deformation, with 1.5 mm identified as the threshold for minimizing structural damage. This study provides practical design guidelines for polymer-based automatic suppression systems, contributing to safer fire protection solutions for electric vehicles and related industrial applications.