STUTTGART, Germany, May 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today introduced a technology to allow flexibility in designing the battery packs of the future, for vehicles including battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (BEVs/PHEVs). The GORETM Low Pressure Evacuation Vent for Battery Packs enables design freedom by addressing problems inherent in Lithium-ion battery components and packs. The company is presenting the new technology at The Battery Show Europe, taking place this week in Stuttgart, Germany.
Automotive battery components are often housed in battery packs requiring significant space, volume, and weight. In 2016, pack materials accounted for nearly 24 percent of the overall costs of a lithium-ion battery as shared at last year's Battery Show Europe. The new GORE® Automotive Vent will enable the next generation of battery packs to be reduced in volume, weight, and cost.
The GORETM Low Pressure Evacuation Vent for Battery Packs integrates three of the most important protection functions into one product. First, this new vent has a flexible membrane that supports a very low opening pressure and has an over-pressure bypass function that remains reversible. This ensures prompt relief of pressure differentials in normal and severe operating conditions, which can deform lightweight housings and cause even rugged seals to fail, providing a second benefit of managing over-pressures that are associated with thermal runaway of a single cell or module. Finally, the new GORETM Low Pressure Evacuation Vent for Battery Packs upholds Gore's reputation as a leader in reliability and durability by facilitating pressure equalization and delivering critical protection against the intrusion of water, dirt, and dust.
Other protective solutions are partially designed to burst once they have reached the specified over-pressure. The result of this one-time pressure relief event is an open hole in the battery pack, which could allow moisture or other debris to enter, and potentially lead to electrical issues that could result in battery failure and thermal propagation. By combining innovative technology with a waterproof design, this new GORETM Low Pressure Evacuation Vent technology enables the design of lighter, leaner battery packs without sacrificing protection against harsh environmental conditions.
"We continue to hear that designing the optimal pack with the right weight and cost profile is an ongoing challenge for battery pack designers," said Dr. Peter Hils, Product Manager at W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH. "The GORETM Low Pressure Evacuation Vent is an exciting development for battery pack designers, who will now be able to design more reliable battery packs with thinner, lighter, and potentially lower cost materials – positively impacting the future of mobility for a world that will be hopefully cleaner, safer, and smarter."
The Battery Show is Europe's largest trade fair for advanced battery technology, taking place May 7-9, 2019. Co-located with Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo Europe, the two events feature more than 400 manufacturers and service providers from across the supply chain, providing thousands of design, production and manufacturing solutions, including battery systems, materials, components, testing, and recycling. Visit W.L. Gore & Associates at Booth 1092.
For more information about the GORETM Low Pressure Evacuation Vent for Battery Packs, please click here.
About Gore Performance Solution Division
Gore develops products and technologies that address complex product and process challenges in a variety of markets and industries, including aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical, mobile electronics, oil and gas — and more. Through close collaboration with industry leaders across the globe, Gore enables customers to design their products and processes to be safer, cleaner, more productive, reliable, durable and efficient across a wide range of demanding environments.
About Gore
W. L. Gore & Associates is a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. Founded in 1958, Gore has built a reputation for solving complex technical challenges in the most demanding environments — from revolutionizing the outerwear industry with GORE-TEX® fabric to creating medical devices that improve and save lives to enabling new levels of performance in the aerospace, pharmaceutical and mobile electronics markets, among other industries. The company is also known for its strong, team-oriented culture and global recognition from the Great Place to Work® Institute. Headquartered in Newark, Del., Gore employs 9,500 Associates and generates annual revenues of $3.5 billion. www.gore.com
Media Contact
Carole Boisdron
W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH
Hermann-Oberth-Strasse 26
85640 Putzbrunn
GERMANY
Telephone: +49 89 4612 2216
Email: cboisdro@wlgore.com
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