TotalEnergies Lubrifiants has modified the cooling system of the battery of a production car (Volvo XC 90 hybrid) into an immersion cooling system. In this real-life scale experimentation, no change was made to the architecture of the battery or that of the vehicle.

 

The result was immediately visible on the Volvo vehicle tested, with an electrical charging time divided by 4 because of the better thermal control of the cells. 

 

The measurements made during the charging also highlighted a cooling capacity multiplied by seven. By means of this procedure, overall safety and the sustainability of the lithium cells were boosted. 

 

Decrease in cost

Finally, a 4% decrease in weight of the battery pack was measured and a 5.6% decrease in the cost was estimated on the Volvo vehicle, due to a system that is easier to implement.

 

“We are very proud of the confidence that the car manufacturers have placed in us in the framework of this innovative project,” according to Gérard Quoirin, battery fluids product engineer at TotalEnergies. 

 

“Our work has demonstrated the immense potential of immersion cooling. The fact of having successfully grafted our system onto a production vehicle, is the demonstration of its large-scale potential.”

 

Different technique

Nowadays, battery cooling is generally achieved by cooling plates incorporating an antifreeze circuit. This antifreeze technology is finding its limits now and more heat must be extracted from the battery in order to achieve ultra-rapid charging and to improve its sustainability. TotalEnergies Lubrifiants has thus developed a range of fluids that have specific thermal properties. 

 

The product has also been designed so as to offer a fluid with a reduced environmental impact, measured by a life-cycle analysis. Finally, the design of the fluid has been thought out so as to drastically reduce the risk of fire on the battery and thus to improve vehicle safety. 

 

By using innovative dielectric fluids, TotalEnergies Lubrifiants has positioned itself at the forefront of technologies, that in the future, will assist in the deployment of electric vehicles offering greater range as well as recharging more rapidly.-- TradeArabia News Service