from chemistry to pack
An HV battery pack’s isolation from the vehicle chassis is normally maintained by design, but a monitoring circuit still has to watch for it failing in service: a chafed wire, a component drifting out of spec, or moisture ingress can all drop the barrier low enough to become a shock hazard. That is the job … Read more
Battery packs run on direct current, and that single fact makes their contactors, fuses and connectors behave very differently in a fault than the AC switchgear most electricians train on. The Arcing page touches on why DC arcs are harder to break; this post goes into the physics behind that difference and what it means … Read more
A simple creepage and clearance calculator, providing indicative minimum distances based on IEC 60664-1:2020 and ISO 21498:2021 table lookups with linear interpolation. It does not replace formal insulation coordination analysis by a qualified engineer. Always verify against the applicable standard for your specific application and jurisdiction. BatteryDesign.net accepts no liability for design decisions made using this tool. … Read more
Choosing between aluminium and copper is one of the first decisions in any busbar design. Both materials are capable conductors, but they make very different engineering trade-offs. This page sets them side by side across the properties that matter most — electrical, mechanical, thermal, and practical. Material Properties at a Glance The table below compares … Read more
Author: Jim Phillips, P.E Introduction At present, no consensus standard provides a validated methodology for calculating direct current (dc) arc-flash incident energy. IEEE 1584-2018, IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations, is limited to alternating current (ac) systems and does not address dc arc-flash. NFPA 70E includes personal protective equipment (PPE) category tables applicable to certain … Read more
Electrical Contactors are a high voltage and current relay, designed to allow a battery pack to be electrically isolated from the system. Hence in the open state they need to electrically isolate and in the closed state they need to provide a robust low resistance electrical path. Degradation will primarily be an increase in contact … Read more
High Voltage Interlock Loop or HVIL is a critical safety design method used in electric and hybrid vehicles. HVIL monitors all components connected to the high-voltage cables in an electric vehicle via low-voltage signals. It detects the integrity of the electrical connections in the high-voltage system circuit and activates safety measures when the circuit is … Read more
There are so many things to think about in any busbar bolted joint design. Hence it is useful to look at examples and experience. One of the most comprehensive resources in this field is the “Copper for Busbars Guidance for Design and Installation” by the Copper Development Association [1]. The Electrical Power Engineering Reference & … Read more
Auxiliary systems power consumption in a vehicle especially an electric vehicle have a big effect on the vehicle range. The Range is decided by the battery capacity in kWh. Battery capacity is primarily used to provide traction power through AC or DC motor. Efficiency of motor, drivetrain and battery can tell you how much power … Read more
For many applications contactor mass doesn’t matter, but for aviation every gram counts and hence we wanted to look for a trend. Contactor mass plotted versus continuous current rating. Not very much data with just 23 parts, but it appears that we are seeing distinct masses based on frame size. Hence a relationship to continuous … Read more