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Electric vehicles are revolutionising automotive travel by delivering greener, more efficient transport across the world.
Electric vehicles, which are powered by one or more electric motors and use energy stored in rechargeable batteries, are lighter, have zero emission levels, and emit less pollution overall than internal- combustion engines.
Future automobiles and vehicles will increasingly rely on advanced electronics for control and functioning. The growth of modern electronics within automobiles has created new Sealing and Shielding issues and requirements for both battery packs and charging stations.
Battery gaskets for electric vehicles must create an excellent environmental seal but they can also help Thermal Insulation, Electromagnetic (EM) and Radio Frequency (RF) Shielding, and in the case of a Thermal incident passive fire protection.
Environmental sealing and thermal insulation are required inside the battery compartment of an electric car, where cells, modules, and packs all perform different duties. The gaskets must seal and insulate the whole battery module, protecting all of the battery cells in the process. EV gaskets must be able to resist the heat generated by the battery pack, restrict the passage of gases and liquids, and dampen noise and vibration. For effective ingress protection (IP), they must also seal off the water, moisture, dust, and road salt.
Strong electromagnetic fields exist in EV vehicles between the traction and auxiliary battery packs, in addition to the electric traction motor, DC/DC converter, power electronics controller, and other onboard equipment.
For example, Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric cars (PHEVs), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are all exposed to EMI because they include an auxiliary battery in addition to other electrical components. Safety-related sensors and GPS receivers in all-electric vehicles (xEV) are also exposed to interference from the battery yet rely on continuous RF signals.
A fire incident is often started within an EV battery pack when the battery exceeds its “thermal comfort zone” and heat transmission starts. The fire spreads from one cell to the whole battery pack, resulting in a battery thermal runaway.
EV battery thermal runaway is hazardous since adding water to a fire can generate severe flare-ups when water molecules split into explosive hydrogen and oxygen fumes. EV gaskets must resist flame, including flames caused by electrical overloads, component failure, and insulation failures.
In the incidence of a battery thermal runaway, the gasket must withstand extreme temperatures and following a fire to prevent leaking and spreading outside of the battery pack. EMI Seals has a range of gasket materials and thermal solutions that can meet UL 94-V0 flame resistance, provide initial passive fire protection and offer Fire and Smoke barriers to 1260°C and above.
