This electric car battery is capable of turning off by itself in the event of a fire

Researchers from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) have developed a battery for a fire-fighting electric car. Also designed with performance in mind, the pack is capable of retaining 87.9% of its capacity after 1,000 charge cycles.

Battery technologies for electric cars have evolved significantly in recent years. Scientists are making great progress. But we can always go further. Recently, Korean researchers presented an innovative new lithium metal battery with a “ triple layer solid polymer electrolyte ».

Its particularity? It can go out on its own in the event of a fire. A real asset when firefighters are still struggling to deal with electric vehicle battery fires.

A fire-fighting battery?

A study published in the journal Small provides the details of this innovative structure. The battery includes “ soft outer layers that ensure good contact with the electrodes, while a strong middle layer improves its structural integrity ».

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The researchers specify that the electrolyte is enriched “ a firefighting agent ” called ” decabromodiphenylethane “. It is composed of lithium salt and zeolite, which reinforces the overall resistance of the pack. Very technical details, but in concrete terms this means that “ the battery may turn off by itself in the event of a fire ».

Safety and longevity

In traditional solid polymer electrolyte batteries, lithium can form small tree structures called dendrites during charging and discharging. These lithium growths can damage a battery’s internal connections, or create a short circuit. Dendrites significantly increase the risk of fire. This long-standing problem has made it difficult to maximize the potential of lithium metal cells. Until today.

Innovation doesn’t stop at security. According to Dr. Kim Jae-Hyun, the battery design has exceptional longevity. It can maintain 87.9% of its performance after 1,000 charge and discharge cycles.

To put it simply, this would mean that a vehicle with 480 km of range using this new battery could still offer 420 km on a single charge after 450,000 km of use. In short, this technology could lead to safer and more durable batteries for a whole series of applications: electric cars, smartphones, etc.