Stellantis Develops EV Exhaust System Aimed toward Stopping Battery Fires
The guardian firm of Dodge, Ram, and Jeep is exploring the creation of an exhaust system for electrical automobiles (EVs) that goals to stop battery-related fires. The patent, filed with america Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) on January 16, 2023, means that the system might determine battery thermal runaway, a situation that poses a major fireplace danger.
Usually, exhaust programs serve to get rid of the byproducts of inner combustion engines, so they may appear pointless for EVs. Nonetheless, Stellantis posits that energetic administration of gases launched throughout battery overheating might mitigate potential fires. The corporate notes that when batteries bear thermal runaway, they will emit flammable gases, together with hydrogen and numerous hydrocarbons.
The proposed exhaust system might successfully take away these gases, thereby stopping the escalation of thermal runaway conditions into fires and relieving strain throughout the battery pack. Stellantis designed its 4 new modular STLA platforms to accommodate each combustion engines and electrical powertrains, making certain the feasibility of integrating such an exhaust system.
Moreover, Stellantis has developed an exhaust system for the Dodge Charger Daytona EV, which is designed to copy the sound of a conventional V-8 engine, though this setup focuses solely on audio output.
Within the envisioned battery exhaust system, gases would journey by means of a number of remedy zones the place they’d bear chemical remedy to cut back numerous dangerous substances. This idea bears resemblance to catalytic converters present in typical automobiles, which intention to attenuate dangerous emissions.
Trendy EV batteries are outfitted with superior battery administration programs, tightly sealed constructions, and liquid cooling programs that monitor every module or cell, permitting for isolation of faulty areas. Whereas it could appear counterintuitive for an automaker to handle potential fireplace dangers given the intensive security measures already in place, Stellantis will not be alone in its strategy. In 2019, Bosch proposed utilizing pyrotechnics to sever electrical connections within the occasion of thermal runaway, reflecting a rising curiosity in progressive security options.
Regardless of occasional EV recollects associated to fireplace dangers, the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security (IIHS) famous in 2023 that issues concerning fireplace hazards are outweighed by the bodily measurement and potential injury of many present EV fashions to different highway customers.
