Electric powertrain development consultancy CamMotive and advanced materials company Thermulon have been named as technology partners in the £2m (US$2.7m) UK government-backed Drive35 project to enhance safety in next-generation electric vehicle batteries.
The companies will collaborate with a leading UK OEM to tackle the issue of thermal runaway (TR) in EV battery systems.
TR is a significant challenge in EV technology. Lithium-ion battery cells used in EVs can, under certain fault conditions, heat uncontrollably, creating a thermal chain reaction that may propagate across a module or battery pack and potentially lead to fire or explosion. Global regulators and manufacturers are increasingly strengthening safety expectations for battery technologies in response to growing awareness of the issue.
The 12-month UK collaboration will develop and evaluate AeroMotive, a UK-made aerogel-based EV thermal runaway barrier solution being developed for use in next-gen battery systems. The technology uses thin, lightweight layers of highly insulating anti-thermal propagation (ATP) material to limit heat transfer between cells and mitigate the propagation of TR.
CamMotive will design a testing and validation program to evaluate the solution’s performance under various conditions. This includes specialist prismatic cell swelling and compression testing to analyze the impact of forces on battery cell longevity and safety and optimize the performance of the ATP pads.
Luke Barron, senior engineer at Cambridge-based CamMotive, said, “This ground-breaking project will deliver critical research and testing methodologies that make EV batteries safer. By advancing UK innovation in battery technology, we’re helping to accelerate the transition to safer, cleaner, high-performance electric vehicles.”
The project is supported by the UK government’s £4bn (US$5.4bn) Drive35 program, delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK.
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