AllCell Automotive has released a 48V micro-hybrid battery it claims can keep itself cool in a car parked in the sun on a hot summer day, solving a vexing problem that limits cycle life in typical micro-hybrid and start-stop batteries.
The average car spends up to 95% of its life parked, and on the hottest of summer days temperatures inside a parked car can reach 70° C, a temperature at which batteries rapidly deteriorate.
AllCell’s micro-hybrid battery utilizes a proprietary passive cooling material to absorb heat, continuously protecting cells from overheating for hours at a time, and is designed for easy integration across a variety of vehicle platforms. The new battery debuted at The Battery Show this week in Novi, Michigan.
Thermal management is critical to improving both safety and performance of micro-hybrid batteries. The key to AllCell’s micro-hybrid battery is its composite phase change material (PCM), which requires no power to operate and has no moving parts.
AllCell’s PCM, manufactured from inexpensive wax and graphite materials, absorbs and evenly distributes heat whenever the battery is subjected to hot conditions, regardless of whether the car is turned on. The combination of absorbing heat and limiting the maximum temperature allows automakers to eliminate active cooling systems while significantly extending battery life.