Tesla patent will help make electric car batteries safer

KUALA LUMPUR: When it comes to an automobile accident resulting in it catching fire, we feel that the electric cars are much safer than internal combustion vehicles. But recently there have been many cases of lithium ion batteries being punctured and catching fire. And companies like Tesla Motors, who are spearheading the electric car revolution have been on the receiving end of negative criticism globally. Like for example, in a recent crash of a Tesla Model S, the car faced a similar issue. Hence in order to avoid such incidents, Tesla has filed a new patent to make Li-On batteries a much safer and hence minimising human injuries to life.

Normally in case of damage, the battery cells get ruptured and release hot gasses. These hot gases can easily damage nearby cells.This new system will help isolate the damaged cells thereby not to affect the whole battery pack by them. The ruptured cells, due to this uncontrolled chemical reaction also produces heat and generates high pressure situations. This affects all the cells around them and they cause a chain reaction that infects the whole battery pack.

This new patent will create system, that will have a feature or a material to protect the battery cells from heat produced from by adjoining battery cells. This particular material used will most probably be a new age polymer or something similar to that. To help remove the heat generated from battery cells, the system will also have 'heat pipes' or cooled plates. Also, it will remove the heat generated from damaged battery cells as well.

There are more tech savvy things in the system, like the feature that will help direct hot gasses releasing from a ruined cell in a particular direction away from other working cells. It will also have air gaps between cells for cooling and a protective cover that will hold the entire system in place.

Normally, a cool battery pack stores energy much better and dissipates that energy in a efficient way too. So, apart from making these battery packs secure for use in electric cars, this system will also help cool the battery packs better, in hot running conditions or climates, in order that they run at the optimal temperatures.