Globalpu News:DuPont Mobility and Materials today introduced new eCool technology for extruding multilayer cooling lines inside and outside of high-voltage battery packs. This solution addresses the challenges posed by increased cooling line requirements in xEVs, a direct result of the critical need to manage heat and energy for maximum battery operation, safety and range.
“Automotive cooling lines are critical to maintaining the performance of EV batteries. As a large-scale application, they are an important target for improving sustainability. With our eCool solution, we provide the industry with a high-performance, flexible, A more sustainable solution that is also cost-competitive.” Laurent, Director of Global Automotive Marketing, DuPont Mobility and Materials Lefebvre explained.
An electric vehicle may require three times the length of cooling lines than in an internal combustion engine system. For these large components, the challenge for engineers was to find a more sustainable solution that would also stand up to the coolant. DuPont's eCool technology with the company's Zytel based on co-extrusion of LCPA long-chain polyamides with thermoplastic olefin elastomers, it provides an attractive alternative to current heavier options such as thick EPDM rubber hoses and other thermoplastic components.
The eCool solution not only reduces weight, but also provides better resistance to a wide range of electric vehicle coolants while remaining cost-competitive. In addition, DuPont estimates that its eCool solution can significantly reduce the global warming potential (GWP) of these cooling pipes by more than half compared to single-layer PA12 pipes.
This new eCool technology can be easily processed by extrusion and thermoforming and offers:
● Lightweight. Reduced weight compared to thicker EPDM rubber tubes reinforced with textiles
● Sustainability. Lower global warming potential (GWP) than some alternative flexible polyamide thermoplastics.
● Coolant/hydrolysis resistance. Barrier and stress resistant to coolant chemistry
● Customization. Ability to test and customize solutions at the DuPont Automotive Electrification Center of Excellence
● Cost. Cost-effective solution for cooling lines in electric vehicles
● Design freedom. The position of the thermoplastic olefin elastomer layer can be customized to increase the flexibility of the tube/pipe
DuPont's Center of Excellence in Geneva and other application development centers around the world provide production-level support for eCool technology. This includes advanced CAE/FEA simulations, extrusion testing, support post-processing, welding and burst pressure testing, mechanical property evaluation before and after air and chemical aging, salt stress cracking, cold shock resistance and flexural testing. With its industrial-scale processing equipment, DuPont provides customers with the ability to manufacture cooling lines under near-commercial conditions and then test them to dial out the required process and post-processing.
The new eCool technology is the latest in a growing list of advancements and solutions from DuPont for vehicle electrification, including:
● DuPont Zytel HTN hybrid spool for electronic engine
● Hybrid plastic/metal cooling plate made of DuPont Zytel HTN for improved battery cell durability and thermal management
● DuPont Zytel and DuPont Crastin stabilized orange materials for high voltage terminals and connectors, busbars, switches and relays
● DuPont Zytel and Zytel HTN for contact with corrosive liquids and low to high voltage loads over a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions
● DuPont Crastin HR hydrolytically stabilized PBT for switches, connectors and electronic controls