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
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
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
The Current Interrupt Device (CID) in a cell is designed to electrically disconnect a cell if the internal pressure increases beyond a design point. If the gas pressure increases further the burst disc breaks and the gas is vented. However, is the CID operation safe under High Voltages (HV)? As the CID opens the circuit … Read more
When designing a battery pack / system it is important to think about and describe the safety concept. This needs to be considered in a systematic way and needs to cover: In each of these we need to look at the lifetime of the battery and the safety of it when being handled and used: … Read more