Xerotech set to develop battery safety tech for ESA
Xerotech, a manufacturer of advanced lithium-ion battery systems, has announced that it will qualify one of its core proprietary battery safety technologies for space applications in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA). The technology, known as passive propagation resistant (PPR) design, is a critical safety requirement of future space missions including manned spaceflight.
Xerotech’s PPR technology is capable of preventing single- and multi-cell thermal runaway within a battery pack by utilising an ultra-lightweight fire-retardant structural foam, said to be 90% lighter than competing PPR technologies. The technology can be applied to all current space battery designs and has the potential to enable previously impossible mission profiles and applications.
Xerotech already utilises its PPR technology in its Hibernium product line for off-highway vehicles and non-road mobile-machinery, said to be the first battery system platform developed for low-volume, high-diversity customers. Utilising its patented safety and thermal management technology, Xerotherm, Xerotech enables electrification of ‘everything else’ that uses an internal combustion engine today.
“This is a very exciting project with ESA under the Building Blocks General Support Technology Program (GSTP) that will enable Xerotech to stay at the forefront of battery pack design,” said Barry Flannery, CEO and founder of Xerotech. “Demonstrating that our proprietary PPR solution exceeds the extremely stringent requirements for space applications will provide tremendous technical validation of a core pillar of Xerotech’s battery safety concept, which has already been proven in ground-based applications.”
“We have experienced an excellent market reception of our recently launched Hibernium platform, partially thanks to the market-leading, safety-first design,” added Thomas Tomaszewski, VP of Business Development at Xerotech. “This project with ESA further strengthens our position as leaders in module and pack technology, not only for heavy-duty vehicles, but for battery packs in general.”
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