An E-Bike Battery That Cannot Catch Hearth? Even When Shot?

Join every day information updates from CleanTechnica on electronic mail. Or observe us on Google Information!

A couple of years in the past, a person purchased a Tesla and never lengthy later, the battery pack burst into flames. Tesla was initially going to present the person one other automotive, however rescinded the provide when Tesla discovered why it caught hearth: the man had in some way managed to negligently discharge a firearm inside. When the bullet received into the battery pack, one of many battery cells stopped it from passing all through, nevertheless it additionally prompted a brief circuit after which a hearth.

So far as I do know, no person has managed to mishandle a gun and shoot an e-bike’s battery pack, however there have been loads of notable e-bike fires within the information, attributable to a wide range of points. Shoddy DIY and impartial store work, improper storage, and manufacturing facility defects have prompted accidents and deaths.

However, a brand new firm says its engineers have the reply to all of this: 18650 cells that aren’t solely fireproof, however received’t even catch hearth if shot. These particular cells had been designed by an organization referred to as Nanotech Power, and at the moment are obtainable for buy via the corporate’s US accomplice, Voltaplex.

In response to Nanotech, the cell design mixed an electrolyte and proprietary electrodes with Soteria metallized polymer present collectors. The corporate additionally claims that the batteries are fully unable to catch hearth, even when put via excessive punishment. And, the corporate has some receipts to show it!

Within the above video, the staff shot a standard lithium-ion 18650 cell and the fireproof cell with a 4.5mm bullet (.177 caliber) shifting at 2,917 toes per second. The opposite normal battery, with the identical bullet weight shifting at roughly the identical pace immediately caught hearth and was not capable of maintain any cost, whereas the Nanotech cell didn’t endure both of these issues.

However, that’s not the one abuse the staff put the Nanotech Power cell via.

Throughout a nail take a look at, conventional lithium-ion batteries quickly reached temperatures of 700°C, leading to speedy destruction. Amazingly, Nanotech’s Graphene-Powered Batteries not solely remained intact, however in addition they exhibited no indicators of fireplace or explosion, solely a minor puncture within the battery cell could possibly be seen.

On prime of that, a warmth take a look at the place each batteries had been subjected to excessive temperatures, the standard lithium-ion battery underwent irreversible modifications and fully burned down at solely 150C. However, the Nanotech battery cell maintained its efficiency for almost two hours when heated to that very same temperature. Even when the temperature was raised to 180°C, the battery confirmed indicators of cell venting, however with none hearth or explosion.

So, it’s no joke that the batteries can take a lickin’ and carry on tickin’ in lots of circumstances, and might’t catch hearth even once they do break.

“Each month in 2023, we’ve learn concerning the devastating impression of giant fires attributable to low-cost, harmful batteries which have price individuals their houses, their companies, and even their lives,” Curtis Collar, Chief Gross sales and Advertising and marketing Officer at Nanotech Power, mentioned. “At this time, we are saying sufficient is sufficient.”

In response to the businesses, Voltaplex’s web site gives cells which might be well-suited for a variety of purposes together with e-bikes, robotics, medical units, and even navy tools (the bullet-resistance would possibly actually get put to the take a look at there!). The cells are solely manufactured at Nanotech Power’s 50,000 sq. foot Chico 2 manufacturing plant in Chico, CA.

“It has been a privilege to work with the proficient staff at Nanotech to assist develop this groundbreaking American-made battery cell.” mentioned Brian Morin, CEO at Voltaplex and Soteria. “Combining Nanotech’s non-flammable electrolyte with Soteria’s present collector that acts like a fuse contained in the battery gives a novel mixture of security in a cell that may take super injury with out igniting. With over 100 firms having already preordered the cell, we stay up for working with the trade to implement this new stage of security. “