Between the start of 2017 and the end of June this year, Maaleht reports (link in Estonian) of 3,150 fires in residential properties, 212 related to saunas located in internal rooms, while another 242 broke out in separate, often wooden, houses.

The problem affects both traditional smoke saunas and electric-heated versions – 71 of the blazes in the statistics quoted above relate to the latter, including those arising from faulty wiring etc, while fires due to faulty construction are even more common.

Last year there were 96 sauna fires in Estonia in the past year, Maaleht adds, with the summer months particularly affected as people head to the countryside for the long evenings.

Fortunately, the very nature of the sauna – not a place to linger for long periods of time and often housed in buildings separate from the main dwelling – mean that human casualties are rare in Estonia, Maaleht says.

Still, fires are fires, and in one case a family lost their entire sauna house, thanks to a faulty and wrongly-installed chimney, though thankfully the family were unscathed.

Aivar Kukk, chief inspector of the safety supervision office at the Rescue Board’s northern district center said that: “Combustible material (wooden structure, firewood, etc.) can get too close to any part of the sauna heater – either the heater, the connecting pipe or the chimney itself,” which can end in a blaze, while many newer-style electric heaters end up being bolted to the wall instead of via the fastener they come supplied with, which can mean a conflagration is only a matter of time, he added.

Another thing which can get overlooked is the comfort zone people can get into as regards a 20-year-old sauna which has functioned perfectly well all that time – signs of possible catastrophe, which include charring on internal wooden walls – must be heeded, Kukk said, while naturally risks are greater during and immediately after hot, dry summers.

Other essentials include making sure, in the case of a traditional sauna, the sauna’s chimney is regularly swept by a qualified chimney sweep (korstnapühkija), while neophytes should get themselves acquainted with all aspects of sauna safety, or consult with an expert.

Many cases of fires also result from a failure to have flooring and other areas close to a fireplace protected with fire-resistant material, very risky in a situation where sparks etc. can jump out, while chimneys too should be isolated in this way – pitch coating the inside of a flue can also burn.

The original Maaleht piece (in Estonian) is here.

Maaleht is an agricultural weekly and is published by Ekspress Meedia.

—

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(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

(THE CONVERSATION) In today’s electronic age, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous. Compared with the lead-acid versions that have dominated the battery market for decades, lithium-ion batteries can charge faster and store more energy for the same amount of weight.

These devices make our electronic gadgets and electric cars lighter and longer-lasting – but they also have disadvantages. They contain a lot of energy, and if they catch fire, they burn until all of that stored energy is released. A sudden release of huge amounts of energy can lead to explosions that threaten lives and property.

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As scientists who study energy generation, storage and conversion, and automotive engineering, we have a strong interest in the development of batteries that are energy-dense and safe. And we see encouraging signs that battery manufacturers are making progress toward solving this significant technical problem.

Urban transportation is undergoing a transformative shift toward electrification. As concerns grow in cities around the world about climate change and air quality, electric vehicles have taken center stage.

At the same time, e-bikes and electric scooters are transforming urban transit by providing convenient, low-carbon ways to navigate crowded streets and reduce traffic congestion. From 2010 through 2022, shared e-bikes and e-scooters – those owned by rental networks – accounted for more than half a billion trips in U.S. cities. Privately owned e-bikes add to that total: In 2021, more than 880,000 e-bikes were sold in the U.S., compared with 608,000 electric cars and trucks.

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Battery-powered vehicles account for a small share of car fires, but controlling EV fires is difficult. Typically, an EV fire burns at roughly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 Celsius), while a gasoline-powered vehicle on fire burns at 1,500 F (815 C). It takes about 2,000 gallons of water to extinguish a burning gasoline-powered vehicle; putting out an EV fire can take 10 times more.

This is a major concern in large cities where electric vehicles are popular. Fire departments in New York City and San Francisco report handling more than 660 fires involving lithium-ion batteries since 2019. In New York City, these fires caused 12 deaths and more than 260 injuries from 2021 through early 2023. Clearly, there is a need for safer handling and charging practices, as well as technical improvements to batteries.

To understand lithium-ion battery fires, it’s important to know some basics. A battery holds chemicals that contain energy, with a separator between its positive and negative electrodes. It works by converting this energy into electricity.

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The two electrodes in a battery are surrounded by an electrolyte – a substance that allows an electrical charge to flow between the two terminals. In a lithium-ion battery, for example, lithium ions carry the electric charge. When a device is connected to a battery, chemical reactions take place on the electrodes and create a flow of electrons in the external circuit that powers the device.

Cellphones and digital cameras can operate on a single battery, but an electric car needs much more energy and power. Depending on its design, an EV may contain dozens to thousands of single batteries, which are known as cells. Cells are clustered together in sets called modules, which in turn are assembled together in packs. A standard EV will contain one large battery pack with many cells inside it.

What causes battery fires

Typically, a battery fire starts in a single cell inside a larger battery pack. There are three main reasons for a battery to ignite: mechanical harm, such as crushing or penetration when vehicles collide; electrical harm from an external or internal short circuit; or overheating.

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Battery short circuits may be caused by faulty external handling or unwanted chemical reactions within the battery cell. When lithium-ion batteries are charged too quickly, chemical reactions can produce very sharp lithium needles called dendrites on the battery’s anode – the electrode with a negative charge. Eventually, they penetrate the separator and reach the other electrode, short-circuiting the battery internally.

Such short circuits heat the battery cell to over 212 F (100 C). The battery’s temperature rises slowly at first and then all at once, spiking to its peak temperature in about one second.

Another factor that makes lithium-ion battery fires challenging to handle is oxygen generation. When the metal oxides in a battery’s cathode, or positively charged electrode, are heated, they decompose and release oxygen gas. Fires need oxygen to burn, so a battery that can create oxygen can sustain a fire.

Because of the electrolyte’s nature, a 20% increase in a lithium-ion battery’s temperature causes some unwanted chemical reactions to occur much faster, which releases excessive heat. This excess heat increases the battery temperature, which in turn speeds up the reactions. The increased battery temperature increases the reaction rate, creating a process called thermal runaway. When this happens, the temperature in a battery can rise from 212 F (100 C) to 1,800 F (1000 C) in a second.

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Managing the thermal runaway problem

Methods to ensure battery safety can focus on conditions outside or inside of the battery. External protection typically involves using electronic devices, like temperature sensors and pressure valves, to ensure that the battery isn’t subjected to heat or force that could cause an accident.

However, these mechanisms make the battery larger and heavier, which can reduce the performance of the device it powers. And they may not be reliable under extreme temperatures or pressures, such as those produced in a car crash.

Internal protection strategies focus on using intrinsically safe materials for battery components. This approach offers an opportunity to address potential hazards at their source.

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Another solution is already in use: battery management systems. These are hardware and software packages built into battery packs that can monitor vital battery parameters, such as the state of charge, internal pressure and the temperature of the cells in the battery pack.

Just as a physician uses a patient’s symptoms to diagnose and treat their illness, battery management systems can diagnose conditions within the battery pack and make autonomous decisions to shut off batteries with hot spots, or to alter the load distribution so that any individual battery does not get too hot.

Battery chemistries are evolving rapidly, so new designs will require new battery management systems. Many battery producers are forming partnerships that bring together manufacturers with complementary battery expertise to tackle this challenge.

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Users can also take steps to maximize safety. Use manufacturer-recommended charging equipment and outlets, and avoid overcharging or leaving an EV plugged in overnight. Inspect the battery regularly for signs of damage or overheating. Park the vehicle away from extremely hot or cold surroundings – for example, park in shade during heat waves – to prevent thermal stress on the battery.

Finally, in the event of a collision or accident involving an EV, follow the manufacturer’s safety protocols and disconnect the battery if possible to minimize the risk of fire or electrocution.

The post Lithium-ion battery fires are a rising public security concern − this is find out how to cut back the danger appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

But water experts believe the next 100 years of providing millions of people with a finite resource will be far more complicated than storing water in a mountain bathtub and channeling it into the bay. Water authorities need to save more and possibly make technical improvements to allow the system to store more water.

The Hetch-Hetchy system has been able to handle recent severe droughts and this winter’s powerful storms, but Newsha Ajami, the president of the SFPUC, said “some of it was luck driven.”

“We have one of the lowest water usage rates in the state,” she said. “San Franciscans consume about 40 gallons per person per day, which is very little.”

The SFPUC operates the reservoir and expects the Hetch Hetchy system to be tested by even more extreme drought and flooding.

“This year was one of the wettest years we have ever seen. Just before we had the driest three-year sequence we’ve ever seen,” Graham said. “We’re seeing what the climate models are predicting, wetter rainy seasons and drier dry spells, which makes managing all of that a little more difficult.”

Water supplies may appear stable in a wet year, Graham said, but managing runoff from a massive Sierra snowpack requires constant attention, especially with no guarantee future years will be wet either. In August, he said, the reservoir will remain glassy and brimming.

“Right now I’m just trying to maximize what we have and the storage capacity that we have,” he said. “Climate change will make managing this water supply significantly more difficult.”

San Francisco Mayor London Breed looks out over the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir from O’Shaughnessy Dam during Tuesday’s centenary celebrations. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

While San Franciscans don’t use much water, other parts of the Bay Area overuse the resources. Laura Feinstein of the nonprofit political group SPUR analyzed water use within the system and found that communities like Hillsborough in San Mateo County that receive water from the Hetch Hetchy system use 190 gallons of water per person per day.

“Even in winter when it rains, they use water liberally,” she said of the residents, who continue to water large yards and landscapes regardless of the season. “This kind of inefficiency puts a lot of pressure on the system. Making communities like this more water efficient would mean a lot of savings and make the whole system more climate resilient.”

Hetch Hetchy’s success will depend on how it’s used

Susan Leal wants to ensure that Hetch Hetchy exists as a thriving water resource in the face of human-caused climate change. She is a former executive director of the SFPUC.

She sees three possibilities for the future of water from Hetch Hetchy: it becomes more expensive over time, the authorities start recycling it on a large scale, or they increase the level of the reservoir.

Regarding water recycling, Leal said there was “no alternative,” and city officials need to give serious thought to creating more recycled water facilities this year. Treated water, she said, costs more but could take some strain off the system.

“To discourage people from bottled water, we kept telling them how good their Hetch Hetchy water was,” she said. “We need to make people understand that recycled water is like distilled water. It is very pure water.”

O’Shaughnessy Dam holds back the Tuolumne River and forms the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Another way to increase the water supply is to raise the dam to store more water. In 1938 officials increased it from 227 feet to 312 feet. Leal said the O’Shaughnessy Dam, which will hold back the Tuolumne River, could be built 55 feet higher than it is today.

“We may have to build the dam higher to hold more water,” she said. “We have to take that into account because we never planned the extreme storms.”

Raising the dam and increasing the storage capacity of the reservoir would likely face significant opposition from environmentalists and likely face lawsuits.

“I don’t know if it’s being considered, but if it’s recycling or impounding more water at Hetch Hetchy or other dams, all of those things have had to be thought about since yesterday,” she said.

100 years marks the “victim of the environment”

The story of Hetch Hetchy isn’t just about free-flowing, clean drinking water, and its construction sparked one of the first major U.S. struggles over land use and conservation. When officials were building Hetch Hetchy, the reservoir cut off waterways to fish, plants, and other animals that depended on running water, most of which is now stored behind a cement wall deep in the Sierra Nevada.

UC Davis’ Sandoval Solis said the construction of the reservoir, while good for many people in the Bay Area, has destroyed the freshwater ecosystems on the shores.

“The environment has been at risk for 100 years,” said Sandoval Solis. “The centenary also marks the centenary of endangering or sacrificing the environment and some of the Indigenous communities who were displaced for the benefit of the people living in San Francisco.”

Hetch Hetchy is the ancient home of up to a dozen indigenous peoples; Throughout Yosemite, many were forcibly displaced or killed in the mid-1800s.

The Hetch-Hetchy Valley has been inundated with water since the construction of the O’Shaughnessy Dam 100 years ago. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Damming rivers in the Sierra Nevada, such as the Tuolumne River at Hetch Hetchy, have bifurcations into the river systems that join the San Joaquin River, empty into the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta, and enter the Bay.

The large amounts of fresh water that once flowed helped mix natural algae into the salty water. Still, lower inflows into the bay mean the seaweed sits atop the water, creating the perfect habitat for toxic algal blooms. Olivia Yip, an associate professor at San Jose State University who studies algal blooms, said the latest eruption, which killed thousands of fish, was partly due to reduced freshwater flows.

“Imagine some seaweed floating around in the bay,” Yip said. “With more mixing, it’s less likely to just sit on top and grow like crazy.”

The future of the system must include an equitable use of water, proponents say

The Hetch-Hetchy Pipeline runs through communities in the Central Valley and Bay Area that need clean drinking water of their own. UC Davis’ Sandoval Solis said access to safe drinking water “should not be a luxury because it is a human right.”

“The pipes run right through their communities, but they can’t use them,” he said. “I don’t think providing clean water to disadvantaged communities should be a problem.”

About two-thirds of the Bay Area’s pure Hetch-Hetchy water is used outside of San Francisco’s borders.

The post Celebration and Concern: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Turns 100, However Local weather Change Complicates its Future appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

MADISON, Wisconsin (WMTV) – A shortage of microchips could affect how Wisconsinits heat and cool their homes. HVAC contractors began seeing the shortage in the spring, but concerns about the shortage are increasing as the winter months approach. The deficiency could complicate furnace repairs and replacements when adequate heat is critical.

Microchips are basically miniature computers found in several devices, including ovens, thermostats, and water heaters. The chips sit on printed circuit boards.

“It’s amazing how something like this is putting so many things on hold right now,” said Bruce Perkins, logistics manager at Harker Heating & Cooling.

Perkins explained that these chips are how thermostats and stoves or air conditioners communicate with each other and keep the home at a comfortable temperature.

“That determines when the furnace starts, when it shuts off, how the fans work,” he described.

However, makers of these microchips are behind schedule due to pandemic-related shutdowns. Due to the backlog, HVAC contractors are struggling to get the equipment they need.

“We’ve had instances where … we’ve ordered these air conditioners for two months and we’ve been waiting for them,” Perkins said.

Kendall Richards, president of All Comfort Services, faced the same problems.

“There are stoves and air conditioners that we really had to wait weeks for,” he said, adding, “Wholesalers would have them available the next day. Now we want to get these 50-gallon water heaters in seven or nine days.”

Richards and Perkins are both concerned that the chip shortage could make repairs difficult in Wisconsin’s cold winter.

“As we get into the colder months where we can see sub-zero temperatures, there are serious concerns as to whether we will be able to get the parts we need to fix existing equipment we can the new ones Got devices?” asked Perkins.

Both contractors will take steps to avoid delays. Perkins stocks up on equipment and spare parts.

“I just ordered, probably as recently as today, $20,000 worth of maintenance-related parts,” he explained. Perkins added that Harker also stocks more ovens than ever before.

Richards ensures he also has a short term solution for customers who are having problems with their oven.

“We try to have an adequate inventory of portable heaters,” he explained.

Both men said the best thing people could do to avoid problems this winter is run their furnace now and do their annual maintenance before it’s too late.

“Turn it on for 20 minutes, just make sure it’s giving off heat and there aren’t any problems,” Richards recommended, adding that people should listen for any rattling or other unusual noises.

Perkins added, “If there are any issues that may arise, [you] can usually catch some of those on the front end.

Contractors are unsure how long the shortage will last. Richards said it depends on the pandemic — if facilities continue to have to close due to COVID-19 outbreaks, shortages will continue. He hopes the problem will clear up next spring.

Copyright 2021 WMTV. All rights reserved.

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Not long after buying a Tesla Model 3 that summer, Vince Patton saw a YouTube clip highlighting a feature that surprised him: three video games that can be played on the large touchscreen in front of the dash – while driving down the street .

“I thought this couldn’t be right,” said Mr. Patton, a retiree in Lake Oswego, Ore.

But he tried it in a parking lot and was able to play a solitaire game on the Model 3 while driving. “I only did it for about five seconds and then turned it off,” he said. “I’m amazed. It just seems inherently dangerous to me.”

The automaker added the games in an over-the-air software update sent to most of its cars this summer. They can be played by a driver or a passenger in full sight of the driver, raising new questions as to whether Tesla compromises safety as it quickly adds new technology and features to its cars.

“It’s a big problem, of course, when it comes to driver concerns,” said Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which coordinates government efforts to promote safe driving.

Tesla’s autopilot system, which can independently steer, slow down and accelerate a car, has been criticized by safety experts for several years because it allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel for long periods of time, even though this is not intended. And there is no effective means of ensuring that the driver can keep an eye on the road.

The combination of hands-free driving and drivers looking away from the road has been linked to at least 12 deaths in Tesla cars that were operated in autopilot mode since 2016, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Mr Adkins said the addition of video games “calls for the NHTSA to provide some guidance and regulations”.

After this article was posted online, the security agency said on Wednesday that it is looking at the video game feature and is discussing it with Tesla.

Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, did not respond to several emails asking about the new video games and whether they might pose a threat to security.

Distracted driving is a major contributor to the rising number of road deaths in the United States. According to estimates by the Ministry of Transport, 20,160 people died in road accidents in the first six months of this year. That was 18.4 percent more than in the first half of 2020 and the highest value since 2006.

Driver inattentiveness is officially cited as the cause of about 10 percent of road deaths, said Steve Kiefer, an executive at General Motors who also runs a foundation dedicated to combating distracted driving. However, he and other safety experts believe the actual number is much higher, as crash investigations often overlook the distraction and identify other causes such as reckless driving.

“I think the number is closer to 50 percent,” said Kiefer.

The Kiefer Foundation is dedicated to his son Mitchel, who was killed in 2016 at the age of 18 when a distracted driver broke into his car on a Michigan freeway.

Distracted driving arises from activities in which the driver takes his hands off the steering wheel, averts his gaze from the road or distracts his attention from the driving task. It’s often associated with smartphone use, such as texting or emailing behind the wheel, but drivers sometimes read books or put on make-up. Some states prohibit the use of cell phones while driving. Automakers, Apple, and Google have developed in-car software that makes it easier to use voice commands to send text messages and make calls, so you can keep your hands free on the go.

Automakers have also added mechanisms to reduce potential windscreen distractions. Stellantis – formerly Fiat Chrysler – offers an entertainment system that can play DVDs on a front screen, but it gets dark when the car is pushed out of parking position. Many navigation systems do not allow manual entry of addresses while driving. Mazda vehicles prohibit most use of the dashboard screen while driving.

GM’s Super Cruise system, which can steer, brake and allow the driver to take their hands off the steering wheel, has an infrared camera to track the driver’s eyes. If they deviate from the road, Super Cruise issues a warning or switches off and returns control to the driver.

The problems with Tesla’s autopilot system

Map 1 of 5

Safer Driving Claims. Tesla cars can use computers to manage aspects of driving like changing lanes. However, there are concerns that this driver assistance system called autopilot is not safe.

A federal investigation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating autopilot’s involvement in accidents following 12 incidents in which Teslas crashed into parked ambulances. The authority is authorized to force a recall or to demand new security features.

Abbreviations for sure. Former Tesla employees said the company’s CEO Elon Musk insisted, despite objections from some engineers, that autonomy could only be achieved with cameras.

Driver assistance and accidents. A look into a crash in 2019 that killed a 22-year-old college student shows how gaps in Tesla’s autopilot system and distractions can be tragic. In another incident in which a 15-year-old boy died, a California family sued the company after a Tesla hit a truck, claiming the autopilot system was partly responsible.

“We are of the opinion that these functions can be implemented quite safely with driver monitoring and eye monitoring,” said Kiefer, who heads GM’s international activities.

Some Tesla cars have simpler cameras that look at a driver’s face, but the cameras see less in the dark and don’t track the eyes precisely. Four years ago, after investigating a fatal autopilot crash, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended Tesla add an infrared camera to improve driver monitoring, but the company didn’t do it.

“It’s incredibly frustrating,” said Jennifer Homendy, chair of the security committee. “We’re trying to warn the public and tell Tesla, ‘Hey, you need to take some safety precautions.’ But they don’t have that. “

The Safety Committee investigates traffic accidents and can recommend measures to improve safety, but has no power to force companies to take action. NHTSA fulfills this role.

The NHTSA has issued guidelines advising automakers that all in-vehicle entertainment devices should be designed so that the driver cannot use them “to perform inherently distracting side-effects while driving”.

Until that summer, video games in Tesla’s software package – there were more than a dozen – could only be played while a car was parked. That changed when the update was carried over to Tesla vehicles on 12/25/2021. It added solitaire; a jet fighter game, Sky Force Reloaded; and The Battle of Polytopia: Moonrise, a conquest strategy game. Mr Patton said he had access to all three with his car in motion and that he had filed a complaint with the NHTSA through their website.

In a warning that appears before the game starts, Tesla signals its knowledge that Solitaire can be played while driving: “Solitaire is a game for everyone, but playing while driving is only for passengers.” A button asks for confirmation, that the player is a passenger, but a driver can play by simply touching him.

In a second YouTube video, another Tesla owner also shows how the game can be played while driving. “It’s pretty dangerous,” says the owner in the video. “I’m sure someone will use autopilot and then play solitaire while on autopilot. Note that, Tesla. “

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