New Technology Will End Fires in Electric Car Batteries

Fires in Electric Car Batteries, Although Uncommon, Are More Likely During Charging Phases and Often Receive a Lot of Media Attention

Although fires in electric car batteries are rare, there are many investigations aimed at preventing a short circuit caused in one of the cells from triggering a thermal runaway that affects adjacent cells and causes a fire. To solve this problem, a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore developed an additional shield located in the separator between the anode and cathode that prevents dendrites from growing and affecting the cell, causing a short circuit.

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Dendrites are small, tree-like structures that grow inside a lithium battery as needle-like projections. These formations can even pierce the separator, which prevents electrodes (cathode and anode) from touching. Additionally, unwanted reactions also occur between the electrolyte, in which these electrodes are immersed and through which ions travel, and lithium, accelerating battery failures.

They are generated during the battery’s charging and discharging cycles caused by the clustering of lithium atoms and spread like a tumor, accumulating and ultimately causing the growth of the electrodes. In the most severe cases, dendrites can cross the separator, connecting the cathode and anode and causing a short circuit that can ignite the battery.

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Battery Fires Are Very Rare Compared to Combustion Vehicle Fires

Instances of battery fires are very rare compared to combustion vehicle fires and are more likely to occur during the charging process. When an electric vehicle’s battery catches fire, it usually starts with one or more cells. The chemical reactions that occur release a significant amount of energy, which can cause adjacent cells to catch fire as well. This effect, known as thermal runaway, is a fundamental safety problem and can lead to a chain reaction that can last for hours. Fortunately, this circumstance usually allows the occupants of the car to exit it.

To limit these risks, researchers at the National University of Singapore developed a specific layer, a kind of additional shield located in the separator that prevents the needle from hitting the cathode. Instead of preventing dendritic formation, they decided to use their intrinsic properties by coating the electrode separator with an additional layer of conductive material that allows dendrites to connect. Once this happens, they can no longer grow, preventing them from reaching the other electrode.

Technology Has Already Attracted Interest From Various Industries

The team at the National University of Singapore has successfully tested its system on more than 50 battery cells with different materials in their composition. The results of their tests are very encouraging, as none of them experienced short circuits, even during charging phases carried out beyond their life cycle.

According to the researchers, the material used for this shielding is commonly used in the industry so this technology can be easily integrated into the current separator manufacturing process. On the other hand, the additional cost that the technology would generate in the manufacturing process is estimated to be around 5%. Still awaiting patent approval, this technology has already attracted the interest of several companies in the sector and will be marketed by NTuitive, a spin-up from the National University of Singapore.

Tesla Sedan Electric Car Worth R$ 650,000 Explodes in Flames After 3 Days of Use and Traps Owner After Electronic Doors Fail

A Tesla Model S Plaid EV caught fire on June 29 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania while the owner was driving, three days after the high-end car priced at US$ 129,900 (approximately R$ 650,000) was delivered, a lawyer for the driver told Reuters.

The driver, identified as an “executive businessman,” initially could not exit the car because his electronic door system failed, forcing him to “use force to push it open,” said Mark Geragos of Geragos & Geragos, on July 2 of this year.