We first mentioned the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology here on Revmodo when discussing its development of an anti-aging creme for solar modules and now we see that they are also working on new technologies for electric vehicle batteries. The Institute has come up with a more efficient fluid to be used for cooling the batteries used in the cars.
Named CryoSolplus (PDF), the new fluid is comprised of a mix of water, paraffin, and anti-freeze and is capable of absorbing two to three times more heat than air or plain water typically used for cooling. As the heat from the batteries is absorbed in the fluid, the solid paraffin droplets inside it begin to melt, storing some of that heat and then dispersing it. Once cooled down, the paraffin returns to a solid form and repeats the process. A stabilizing agent is also added to the mix to ensure that the paraffin stays evenly distributed throughout the fluid.
The fluid would only require a small storage tank as compared one needed for plain water and would eliminate the open space currently needed around batteries for air cooling circulation. Because of this, battery packs could be packed closer together under the hood, opening up additional space for more batteries and thus power. It could also prevent batteries from overheating, a common problem in EVs which significantly reduces battery longevity and storage capability. Because the batteries in electric cars are the most expensive parts to replace, technology to make them last longer and cost less would make the mass adaption of electric vehicles much easier.
Tests will begin shortly and the researchers believe that once perfected a battery coolant system based on CryoSolplus should only add 50 or 100 euros to the price of car. That’s a small price to pay for EV batteries which could last a lot longer and thus be an even more eco-friendly form of transportation.
[via Yahoo News]
Image Credit: jdiggans/Flickr