TPI reports that it has conducted extensive down-selection work on fire protective systems for EV battery enclosures, including cone calorimetry tests on multiple resin systems and fire-protection layers, as well as subcomponent testing, direct torch burn-through testing and more.
What challenges do automotive tier suppliers face when producing EV battery enclosures?
Automotive Tier suppliers face a changing landscape when it comes to producing EV battery enclosures, including looming changes in battery pack energy density and potentially even battery chemistry, more demanding battery safety requirements and a rapid increase in the rollout of EV programs, plus continuing supply challenges.
Are composite battery enclosures better than metal?
With metal, it is far more challenging and costly to form battery enclosures into complex shapes, which means they must be produced in more pieces that take up more space. However, owing to their high design freedom and parts consolidation opportunities, composite enclosures can be designed into more efficient shapes that require less space.
How are composite EV battery enclosures becoming more popular?
Composite technologies are growing in use as suppliers continue efforts to meet more demanding requirements for EV battery enclosures. Technicians at Teijin Automotive Technologies manually demold a large SMC battery tray from its tool in a compression press. Photo Credit: Teijin Automotive Technologies
How much weight does a battery enclosure add to a vehicle?
Reportedly, empty metallic battery enclosures add 110-160 kilograms to vehicle mass and are now the heaviest component on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) — and that's before battery packs are loaded. Another problem is that battery enclosures are multicomponent assemblies.
Can composite materials be used for battery enclosures?
Photo Credit: Teijin Automotive Technologies As the automotive industry rapidly electrifies its fleets, interest is growing among OEMs and battery module producers in using composite materials for battery enclosures — covers and trays that hold and protect the frames and battery cells themselves.
How do you test a SMC battery?
Rather, OEMs and some battery-module suppliers tend to require specific flame-exposure testing, such as continuous exposure to an 850°C flame for five minutes with repeated exposure for one minute to temperatures of 1,250°C. In that context, to test the effectiveness of its own SMC formulations, STS has developed its own internal test method.