“The aim is to extrapolate the results and gain a more thorough understanding of fire performance in EV batteries”
Fire performance of batteries for electric vehicles
Our fire engineering team of experts has state-of-the-art knowledge and experimental capabilities to evaluate the fire performance of the materials, products and envelopes of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. We address complex situations of fire generation and spread in batteries, propose ad-hoc studies to assess different phenomena and monitor the most relevant parameters.
One of our main focuses is the assessment of EV battery materials, including thermal pads/barriers, envelopes/housing, ancillary materials, electronics, among others. We perform a detailed analysis of heat release rate (HRR), flame spread, opacity and smoke toxicity in order to ensure the safety of batteries in different situations.
Battery safety
We monitor thermal runaway, a critical phenomenon in battery safety, through the controlled generation of heat or electrical overcharge at the cell level, and the analysis of spread of flame at the battery pack level. We monitor temperatures, heat release rate (HRR) and smoke opacity in a large-scale calorimetric hood to understand and predict thermal runaway performance under realistic conditions.
The fire resistance of battery envelopes is another crucial aspect of electric vehicle safety: we conduct extensive tests to assess the ability of battery envelopes to withstand fire in different scenarios.
We use advanced modelling and simulation techniques, such as fluid dynamic simulation (CFD) of the evolution of the fire, and thermo-mechanical simulation using finite elements (FEM). The aim is to extrapolate the results from material to product scale, and to gain a more thorough understanding of fire performance in EV batteries.
Our commitment to fire safety and innovation in the field of electric vehicle batteries provides us with state-of-the-art technical solutions and helps ensure the safe use of these devices.
