By: Dr. Irfan khan, Founder & CEO, eBikeGo
Some have attributed these fires to a mixture of the rising temperatures in our cities and the poor thermal administration system of the EV battery. Yet, blaming the climate is unsuitable. There are many misconceptions such because the Indian summers and poor thermal administration being the explanation for the outbreaks of EV fires aren’t true.
Instead, we should always choose wanting extra carefully at how a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery is packed and designed.
An EV comprising lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells requires just a few hundred levels Celsius earlier than struggling a ‘thermal runaway incident’ and that causes EV fires.
Extreme scorching climate situations and improper thermal administration techniques of the battery can negatively affect efficiency and shorten life, they don’t trigger fires.
Several producers of the Li-ionbatteries be certain that they mechanically swap off round 45-55 levels Celsius. If these security options aren’t built-in within the car, it’s unimaginable for the ambient warmth and the warmth generated by batteries may cause a spike of some hundred levels Celsius.
These fires are a case of QC concern, maybe one thing not considered within the design stage.
It may very well be that climate patterns for various goal geographies that weren’t thought-about, pack meeting course of not being essentially the most sturdy or just restricted testing not exposing chinks within the armor.
One factor now we have seen over the previous one 12 months is the booming demand and subsequent gross sales of EVs, particularly 2-wheelers. We have additionally seen a scramble for securing battery cell provide chains given the worldwide demand growth.
That’s why OEMs search for options with a view to safeguard their manufacturing schedules. While most cells throughout makes provide comparable output for a given specification band, QC is usually a huge variable.
Cell choice is an enormous think about the entire battery pack design improvement, and variances in cells can translate to larger variances in pack output.
Thus, once we take a look at a number of cell provide chains, each must be vetted in addition to the primary alternative. Vetting a cell make and mannequin requires exhaustive testing to make sure efficiency and security beneath a variety of situations and as such just isn’t a course of that may be hastened.
In latest instances, many of the battery fires are on account of quick circuits resulting in uncontrolled present. In this situation, the cells warmth themselves up past 100°C. Poor cell high quality and shoddy battery design causes quick circuits, and the dearth of correct battery administration system (BMS) is a situation through which cells aren’t managed correctly with the proper sensing and software program technolgies.
This rise in temperature impacts life and efficiency of the battery, however it doesn’t trigger EV hearth. To catch a fireplace in a lithium-ion battery, it wants just a few hundred levels Celsius. Which just isn’t doable by way of ambient warmth or the warmth generated by an operational battery.
There needs to be a brief circuit for the battery cell to hit that type of temperature which causes hearth. Many EVs that caught hearth have been utilizing extra temperature-sensitive battery chemistry referred to as NMC.
To use a extra temperature-sensitive battery, on the battery pack degree, there have been no design measures taken to make sure that it’s thermally cooled correctly.
The hearth suppressant supplies have been missing in these autos as a result of that will result in extra prices, quantity and weight necessities within the car. Many OEMs lower corners simply to cut back value and guarantee better battery vary after which launch these merchandise with out all the proper design decisions.
The speedy scale up in EV and battery meeting that has occurred over the previous 12 months. Manufacturing is an exercise that requires capability. Capacity build-up requires time.
There are QC challenges that come up when manufacturing scale is elevated, which additionally want time to type out. It just isn’t a course of that may be hurried up, and definitely not as quick because it has occurred within the final 12 months or so.
If not performed proper, manufacturing scale-up will be chaotic and might result in QC nightmares. Both EV/battery meeting in addition to the supporting vendor ecosystem is sort of new to India and can take a while to ascertain QC norms.
The speedy scale up of battery meeting amenities and element manufacturing/vendor improvement may very well be a motive why variance in high quality would crop up.
OEMs being incentivized by the FAME subsidy rise to ship bigger capability battery packs with out altering the car designs. Trying to stuff bigger capability in the identical quantity pressurizes pack designers to compromise on security elements of pack engineering.
The improve in sheer numbers of autos offered earlier than QC may have been stabilized is the most important motive for these fires.
Measures to unravel this drawback – First off, the QC for battery pack meeting (and the localized element manufacturing) must be perfected.
We want safe native provide chains for cells, ones which can be made with Indian situations in thoughts. The QC challenges of producing are available for cell manufacturing, maybe much more so. India has not seen LIB cell manufacturing but, and is searching for an enormous scale up with the PLI plans.
The standard LIB cell manufacturing course of is extraordinarily QC delicate and even the smallest of slip-ups trigger security issues.
Cell manufacturing in India must occur as a properly thought out train after absolutely understanding the method concerned and its limits, lest we see a fair larger drawback when domestically manufactured cells enter the large EV market.
If the LIB cell design and manufacturing course of itself will be reworked for Indian necessities, conserving in thoughts the affect of the method on the QC, it may very well be a elementary resolution to the fires in batteries.
We want a correct temperature measurement system sensor built-in. When the battery cell goes above a sure temperature, the system both cuts off energy, immobilises the car and sends a message to the person that they should take this car to a different place the place if the car caught hearth, it doesn’t outcome within the lack of life and property.
We additionally required it on the charger aspect. Nowadays, many individuals use good chargers to cost their EVs.
There are excessive possibilities that these chargers can talk with the battery pack, and get information on the temperature or the well being of the battery.
We have to work to construct failsafe measures in order that the charger can talk that the battery temperature has turn into very popular and might’t be charged proper now.
There are many rules associated to the EV Industry which can be additionally evolving, however trade all the time has a alternative to face forward of it.
All EV gamers ought to current temperature resilient certification and supply it to clients after they purchase a brand new car. We ought to construct a number of third-party labs in India that may take a look at these batteries at completely different temperatures be it excessive or low, working situations and supply OEMs with a temperature certificates.
In the age of viral web media unfold, misunderstandings can negatively have an effect on the way forward for EVs, which could be very helpful for the nation.
So, to keep away from such incidents sooner or later, We have to indigenise our requirements and values for Indian roads. The trade gamers themselves can take a name to get a third-party certification even when the regulator doesn’t require it.
With this be aware, I can solely say that these sorts of mishaps and setbacks are a part of the expertise particularly once we are transferring towards fashionable applied sciences, and it might finally result in higher options and security techniques being constructed into Electric autos.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this article are solely these of the unique writer. These views and opinions don’t characterize these of The Indian Express Group or its staff.
Source: www.financialexpress.com”