New Battery Cooling Technology Could Change Electric Cars
Breakthrough in Charging Technology
British startup Hydrohertz, led by an engineer with experience at McLaren, Singer Design, and Land Rover, claims to have solved one of the biggest problems of electric vehicles – maintaining optimal battery temperature during fast charging. The hardware system they developed could make lengthy charging stops a thing of the past.
How Dectravalve Works
The Dectravalve technology is a compact control unit that precisely regulates the temperature of each section of an electric vehicle’s battery, instead of treating the entire pack as a single unit. This ensures the same optimal temperature for each cell – without local overheating, wasted energy on cooling, and thermal power limitations.
Advantages of the New System
Charging from 10 to 80 percent, which typically takes about 30 minutes on a 400-volt electric vehicle even when using the fastest charging stations, could be reduced to just 10 minutes. Although this is still longer than refueling a gasoline car, the difference becomes less noticeable.
In addition to accelerated charging, the system offers additional benefits. Since Dectravalve maintains the optimal temperature of the entire battery constantly, not just during charging, the real range can increase by up to 10 percent, which is 30-40 miles. Other advantages include extended battery life, reduced risk of thermal runaway, and more stable acceleration for sports electric cars.
Testing Results
During testing of the system on a 100 kWh battery with LFP chemistry, impressive results were obtained. The hottest cell did not exceed 44.5°C with a temperature difference of only 2.6°C across the entire pack. Most modern systems show temperature fluctuations of 12°C or more, forcing charging devices to reduce power after heating above 50°C.
The automotive industry has been waiting for battery technology to catch up with consumer expectations, but progress has been slow and expensive. New chemistry can take decades to develop and require billions in investments. What we’ve done is a completely different approach. For manufacturers, this means better, more usable electric vehicles right now, without waiting for the next generation of battery technology.
Versatility and Prospects
The system is “chemically independent,” meaning it is compatible with any current or future battery technology. This makes it significantly cheaper than developing a completely new battery from scratch, which could be an attractive upgrade for automakers looking to improve the performance of existing models without significant investments in solid-state batteries.
Hydrohertz technology is of particular interest in the context of global efforts to improve electric vehicle infrastructure. The ability to significantly reduce charging time without the need for complete replacement of battery systems could accelerate the transition to electric transportation, especially for drivers who frequently take long trips. Successful implementation of such technologies could also help reduce “charging anxiety” – one of the main barriers to mass adoption of electric vehicles.