Power management company Eaton’s eMobility business has received a contract to supply its Breaktor circuit protection technology to an unnamed European vehicle manufacturer for use in multiple models of 800-volt EVs.

The Breaktor technology is a new circuit protection solution for EVs that combines the function of fuses, pyro switches and contactors into a single coordinated device. Eaton says the Breaktor circuit protection solution “solves the ever-increasing coordination challenge between fuses and contactors while offering fast, safe and reliable protection for high-power battery and inverter systems.”

“To meet EV consumer demand for longer range and faster charging, new EVs have increased power levels, which drives the need for advanced circuit protection for these high-voltage systems,” said Scott Adams, President, eMobility, Eaton. “Our Breaktor technology offers improved EV system safety and reliability with a simplified architecture. In fact, one Breaktor circuit protection unit can replace up to 15 components.”

The Breaktor features actuation time of less than 4 milliseconds for short-circuit faults up to 900 volts and 25,000 amps. It’s resettable like a circuit breaker, which enables reactivation of the device following a functionality check.

“In the event of a collision, Eaton’s Breaktor circuit protection technology works in tandem with a vehicle’s safety systems,” Adams said. “It rapidly disconnects the high-voltage battery from the rest of the vehicle for protection and safety in the event of any unsafe condition.”

Source: Eaton