Beholder Platform - use cases
Battery failures in electric and hybrid vehicles can be particularly dangerous (or at least costly), especially when the vehicles are stationary, switched off and in close proximity to each other. Such situation occurs, among others, in the case of overnight stationing of a large fleet of vehicles, close to each other, in a depot or hangar.
For this reason, the companies that first became interested in solutions based on the Beholder platform, detecting fire hazards in vehicles, were public transport companies.
Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacyjne Sp. z o.o. (Municipal Transport Company Ltd.) in Lublin
In August 2022, MPK Lublin conducted a tender procedure for the “Delivery and installation of a system for early detection, signaling and alarming of fire hazards of the traction batteries of the vehicle when parked at the depot”.
The procedure was settled in September 2022, and the offer from Cognimetrica was selected. The implementation was completed on time and as planned in October 2022.
Scope
MPK Lublin has implemented the Beholder Pro version of the system. This variant is an intranet and fully autonomous solution, i.e. independent of the existence of an Internet connection or GSM / LTE and equipped with its own power supply, its own radio communication with non-invasive installation of detectors on vehicles. All signaling devices are also activated by independent radio communication.
38 vehicles were monitored:
- Ursus T 70116 trolleybuses – 37 pcs. (each with 1 traction battery),
- Ursus E 70110 bus – 1 pc. (equipped with 4 traction batteries),
which resulted in use of 80 two-sensor contact thermal detectors of the AI-SENSO TCD85EU type:
- 2 detectors for each of the 37 Ursus T 70116 trolleybuses,
- 4 detectors for one Ursus E 70110 electric vehicle,
- and 2 detectors configured to work in weather data analysis mode used for continuous analysis of weather conditions in the depot (installed outside the vehicles).
In addition, 4 Beholder Alarm Node BAN12 visual and audio signaling devices were installed in the control rooms.
The entire system is controlled by the specialized industrial computer with the Beholder Pro system software and the Beholder Web application available via a web browser, supported by the necessary additional devices such as radio concentrators or self-diagnostic modules.
Achieved goals
- Increased fire safety in the first batch of vehicles.
- Early detection of incidents and anomalies related to the temperature of traction batteries.
- The ability to take precautionary measures before a rapid reaction within battery prevents effective action or protection of property.
- Monitoring of vehicles also after a complete power failure and in 24/7 mode.
Additional benefits
- Access to comparative analysis of data from different vehicles:
- Detection of anomalies in the operation of auxiliary devices, e.g. BMS controllers or battery pack fans.
- Analysis of historical data from detectors enables a proactive approach by detecting a misbehaving packet long before a potential threat:
- Preventive control, additional assessment of the “health” of packages and the battery aging process.
- Improvement of communication and event handling procedures in the company.
- Potential reduction of insurance costs.
Plans
- Successive implementation of monitoring on other vehicles:
- Budgeting (at least in part) from the fund of the insurance company.
- Complementing the system with the use of GPS parking position detectors:
- Faster access to the endangered vehicle,
- Assessing and responding to hazards from nearby vehicles.
Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe Sp. z o.o. (Municipal Bus Company Ltd.) in Warsaw
In January 2023, MZA Warszawa announced a tender procedure for the “Purchase of 10 pieces of an early detection, signaling and fire hazard alarm system for traction batteries for URSUS electric buses”.
As a result of the proceedings, which were also resolved in January 2023, the offer submitted by Cognimetrica has been selected.
The implementation was completed as planned in March 2023.
Scope
MZA Warszawa uses the system in the Beholder Pro version. It is an autonomous intranet solution, independent of the existence of an Internet or GSM/LTE connection, and equipped with its own power supply, its own radio communication with non-invasive installation of detectors on vehicles. All signaling devices are also activated by independent radio communication.
At this stage of platform implementation, 10 vehicles were monitored:
- Ursus CS2 City Smile electric bus – 10 pcs. (each equipped with 6 traction batteries),
which resulted in use of 62 two-sensor contact thermal detectors of the AI-SENSO TCD85EU type:
- 6 detectors for each Ursus CS2 City Smile electric vehicle,
- and 2 detectors configured to work in weather data analysis mode, used for continuous analysis of weather conditions in the depot (mounted outside the vehicles).
In addition, 2 Beholder Alarm Node BAN12 visual and audio signaling devices were installed in the control rooms.
The entire system is controlled by a specialized industrial computer with the Beholder Pro system software and the Beholder Web application available via a web browser, supported by the necessary additional devices such as radio concentrators or self-diagnostic modules.
