• • • NEWS • • •
EV battery safety sensor to prevent thermal runaway
M
etis Engineering has revealed the production version of their Battery Safety Sensor, a CAN
(Controller Area Network) based sensor designed to detect cell venting, an early sign of catastrophic Electric Vehicle (EV) battery failure. Metis Engineering’s Battery Safety Sensor
would be mounted inside an EV battery pack where it “sniffs” the air to detect a lithium-ion battery cell venting. The sensor is designed to pick up a range of
environmental parameters, including hydrogen, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), pressure change, humidity, dew point and absolute water content. This data can be used to crosscheck with other inputs, such as cell temperatures, to check for cell venting; the sensor then relays the data over a configurable CAN interface to a control unit such as the vehicle’s ECU to cut the load from that part of the battery pack, thus preventing thermal runaway.
There are several stages to a cell going into
thermal runaway. First, there is an increase in temperature, often caused when a battery is overworked, has a manufacturing fault, or is aged. The rise in temperature causes the pressure inside the battery cell to rise. Eventually that pressure, if high enough, causes venting from the sealed battery cell, and if load is not removed from this cell then a thermal runaway can occur. The ultra-sensitive pressure sensor can detect
small increases in pressure inside a battery case caused by venting. This spike in pressure can be cross-checked with the VOC and humidity sensor to avoid false positive warnings.
New report highlights UK fusion energy opportunity
placed to lead the development of commercial fu- sion technology and the creation of a robust regu- latory framework will give it key influence in the global market. The research was commissioned by Assystem,
A
a multi-national engineering firm which has been actively involved in the development of fusion technology since 2005. The company is partner to
a variety of energy transition projects including nuclear, renewables, and hydrogen. It engaged with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers to profile the potential economic opportunity of fusion at a time when future energy policy is under consideration.
new report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers has found that the UK is well
Fusion Energy: A global effort – a UK opportunity
offers a comprehensive new analysis of fusion’s potential as a source of abundant low-carbon power. It examines the current state and future prospects of fusion energy including: • The potential role of fusion in future energy systems
• The steps that need to be taken to turn fusion reactors from scientific experiments to commercial power plants
• The cost drivers of fusion energy and the potential for cost reduction
• The financing options for different investment stages between fusion R&D and a commercial power plant
• The current capacity of the UK to support a fusion industry and the options for expansion
• The possible barriers to fusion energy and opportunities for the UK to lead on commercial deployment The report can be downloaded at:
https://www.assystem.com/en/fusion-energy- report/
Building safety a ‘ticking time bomb’ if fire cable testing isn’t strengthened
W
rexham Mineral Cables, a manufacturer of fire resistance cables, is calling for
more stringent testing standards for fire cables. It believes too many cables are classified as fire resistant yet are not fit for purpose in real-life fire scenarios. Under current standards, only ‘fire-resistant’
cables greater than 20mm in diameter undergo testing for direct impacts to reflect falling debris and water jet testing on a single test sample. For ‘ENHANCED fire resistant’ cables under 20mm, no direct impact test takes place, and the water test is just a spray test, whilst different stages of each test are carried out on different samples of cable. Wrexham Mineral Cables commercial
manager Steve Williams said: “The tests which construction products are subjected to need to be relevant and relied upon. It is extremely concerning that ‘ENHANCED fire- resistant’ cables most commonly being used in fire alarms, emergency lighting, extraction systems, monitoring systems or even backup generators may not survive fire, water, and direct impact. If this remains the case, building safety will remain a ticking time bomb.” Mr Williams says Mineral Insulated Copper
Cable (MICC) is the only fire performance cable that, in historical testing, has survived over 1000˚C, whilst being subjected to direct hammer blows and a full water pressure test using a fire hose. Samples tested have been measured at just 5.7mm in diameter and maintained circuit integrity for over 3 hours.
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • OCTOBER 2021 7
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