KULR Partners With Airbus on Battery Safety Research
KULR announces agreement to provide battery safety technology to Airbus engineers researching safe battery testing in defense and space applications.
California-based KULR Technology Group recently announced an agreement to provide its battery safety technology for research within Airbus’ defense and space unit.
Through the partnership, KULR’s passive propagation resistant (PPR) battery design will be used to develop lithium-ion battery safety solutions for Airbus’ defense, space, helicopter and aircraft applications.
Modified image courtesy of Airbus and KULR.
Designed to mitigate safety hazards resulting from lithium-ion battery failures, KULR’s PPR system utilizes a Thermal Runaway Shield (TRS) and an internal short circuit to draw heat away from cell failures while cooling the failed area with fire-prevention liquid.
In the announcement, KULR CEO Michael Mo stated that the Airbus agreement confirms the company’s commitment to ensuring battery safety in both consumer and commercial applications. Mo added, “We believe our TRS technology can provide a lightweight and effective solution to mitigate thermal runaway propagation risk for Airbus’ high-performance batteries.”
News of the Airbus partnership follows KULR’s recent work with government regulators on improving battery safety standards. In August, KULR joined the United Nations’ Transport of Dangerous Goods Sub-Committee to help establish battery shipping regulations. And, last month, KULR presented its PPR technology design to a subcommittee within the U.S. Transportation Research Board.
Several high-profile use cases back KULR’s battery safety solutions. Since last year, NASA has used the company’s Thermal Runaway Shield technology to ship and store laptop batteries to the International Space Station. NASA also used KULR’s carbon fiber thermal management solutions for the Mars Rover launch in July.
Additionally, KULR recently announced a technology development agreement with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, using its PPR and internal short circuit systems to build 3D printed battery systems meeting NASA’s safety standards for manned space applications.
While KULR’s thermal management solutions are primarily used in the aerospace market, the company is further expanding into the EV space. KULR announced in July that its thermal interface material would be used in Drako Motors’ upcoming all-electric luxury supercar.
