EV Battery Insulation
Advanced Solutions for Battery Electric Vehicle Safety
Battery insulation is a key factor in maximizing EV battery performance. Effective insulation ensures optimal operating conditions, enhances safety, and prolongs battery lifespan, making it a crucial aspect of EV design and engineering. To insulate an EV battery refers to the materials and techniques employed to regulate and maintain the temperature of EV batteries. Its primary role is to mitigate heat generation and dissipation within the battery pack.
The reason for considering insulation of an EV battery is the risk of thermal runaway and proagation. Thermal runaway and propagation are critical concerns in EV battery safety. Thermal runaway occurs when a battery cell overheats and triggers a self-sustaining reaction, leading to rapid temperature escalation. Thermal propagation refers to the spread of this phenomenon to adjacent cells, potentially causing catastrophic failure. Therefore, insulation of EV batteries is critical.
Two Types of Insulation to Consider in EV Batteries
There are two types of insulation to consider: thermal and electrical insulation. Thermal insulation is the means to make sure that the battery pack, cells, and modules can withstand high temperatures to avoid overheating. An example would be to avoid overheating of the passenger compartment, which provides protection to vehicle occupants during thermal runaway caused by inadvertent malfunction of lithium-ion batteries. Meanwhile, electrical insulation is when the EV battery parts can deal with certain kiloVolts (kV) without causing any failures. To achieve this, one should consider using high temperature and particle impact resistance, electrically insulating material on heat shields, cell seperators, module covers and gas guidance components in the EV batteries.
Tailor-Made Insulation Solutions for EV Batteries
Oerlikon Friction Systems has multiple multifunctional thermal and electrical insulation solutions for battery systems including battery packs, modules and cells, and is a pioneer for lightweight battery heat shields. We provide best in class heatshields, providing highest levels of thermal and electrical insulation, allowing automotive manufactures to increase the passenger safety in E-Mobility whether:
- Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
- Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)
- Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV)
We are capable of providing tailor-made insulation solutions for cell-to-cell applications that offer effective protection against thermal propagation including swell compensation whilst ensuring precise temperature management. Using our innovative series of materials, we can provide you the best solution.
