Donaldson Co., a worldwide manufacturer of venting solutions for automotive systems, now offers the Dual-Stage Battery Vent. This new high-performance battery pack vent helps provide protection from water, dirt, contaminants and automotive fluids, while equalizing pressure of the battery pack – two functions that support the life of batteries and their enclosures.
“Our new Dual-Stage Battery Vent is designed to meet the unique requirements of automotive battery packs: the need to protect the battery pack housing from excess over- or under-pressure under normal conditions, and the need to expel large amounts of gases quickly if a thermal runaway event begins within the battery pack,” said Nathan Malek, general manager of Donaldson Global Venting Solutions.
The first stage of the Dual-Stage Battery Vent equalizes pressure while preventing the ingress of water and contaminants. Second stage venting activates if rapid pressure and heat build-up occur, fully opening the vent and allowing expanding gases to escape, which deters further damage to the remaining battery cells.
The Dual-Stage Battery Vent includes valuable design improvements over current one-way valves. Under certain circumstances, one-way valves might unintentionally open, allowing debris or water to enter, causing sealing issues or harm to the battery pack. The Donaldson streamlined Dual-Stage Battery Vent design avoids the use of a valve, rubber flap or any other mechanical device.
Instead, it attaches directly to a housing via a quarter-turn bayonet installation and uses Donaldson’s proprietary Tetratex ePTFE membrane to help keep debris and water out of the battery pack. In addition to exceptional protection from contaminants and over- or under-pressure, the Donaldson Dual-Stage Battery Vent allows gases and pressure to release during thermal runaway, said the company.
The Dual-Stage Battery Vent complements Donaldson’s growing automotive venting product line, which includes Snap-Fit, Screw-Fit, Press-Fit, Tube-Fit and Weld-Fit vents for numerous other vehicle components: from powertrains and headlights to sensors and fluid reservoirs.
