However, many companies are still unable to achieve positive development and are still relying on piecing together and imitation, skirting the edges of the market to survive.
01. Based on positive development, focusing on security
From nothing to something, from weak to strong, from small to large, the development of Yantai Chuangwei New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. has witnessed the development of power battery thermal runaway early warning technology.
In 2012, we were among the first in China to initiate research on thermal runaway and monitoring and early warning technologies for power batteries.
In 2013, we collaborated with multiple research institutions to conduct in-depth and systematic research and development.
In 2014, the power battery thermal runaway monitoring and early warning product was successfully installed on the first prototype vehicle.
In 2015, Yantai Chuangwei New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. launched its new generation CW1160-02 series automatic fire extinguishing devices for battery boxes, meeting IP67 standards. This marked the beginning of forward development, establishing a complete R&D system and entering a period of innovation capability building. For a relatively new company, forward development is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also requires a huge investment of technical resources and financial capital, resulting in substantial costs. Why then does Chuangwei New Energy insist on establishing a forward development system?
Researching safety technologies requires a comprehensive consideration of safety issues. From the very beginning of the project, Chuangwei recognized that power battery thermal runaway early warning technology is itself a crucial safety-focused technology. Ensuring the reliability of the product itself is paramount for it to function properly. Without a systematic approach to forward development, the product's reliability cannot be verified, let alone protecting customer property and lives!
Chuangwei New Energy is keenly aware of the severity and dangers of thermal runaway in power batteries. During the market research phase, they visited bus companies and charging stations in Beijing, Qingdao, and other cities to gain a deep understanding of customer needs, and then formulated targeted product objectives.
After the project for monitoring and early warning technology for thermal runaway in power batteries was approved, Chuangwei New Energy decomposed the pre-set goals of the product into system and component development. By using a forward development approach, it ensured that the developed components met system-level requirements, and thus met the technical requirements of the entire vehicle.
In accordance with forward development requirements, during the selection and finalization of various components, the failure mechanisms of the components are analyzed and verified; after verification, the subsystems composed of the finalized components are subjected to failure mechanism analysis and verification according to system performance requirements, and the software reliability strategy is verified at the same time; after all subsystems are assembled into an overall system, the product system is verified as a whole according to the vehicle environment; after installation in the vehicle, the EMC and various performance of the vehicle are verified.
This series of continuous processes are carried out in accordance with the systematic approach of forward development. Although the development cost is high, it ensures the reliability and safety of the product and can withstand the test of various working conditions.
02 Lithium-ion battery thermal runaway model: proprietary technology is advanced and effective.
As one of the earliest researchers of early warning and safety technologies for power batteries in China and a pioneer of automatic fire extinguishing devices for battery boxes, Chuangwei New Energy created the "Lithium-ion Battery Thermal Runaway Model," which promoted the large-scale application of battery box thermal runaway monitoring and automatic fire extinguishing technologies.
The "Lithium-ion Battery Thermal Runaway Model" is divided into three dimensions: longitudinal, lateral, and vertical. The longitudinal dimension involves data redundancy from multiple sensors, which means fitting multiple sets of sensor data under the same environment multiple times to simulate the data characterization curves of different materials and environments. The lateral dimension involves performing continuous-time algorithms on historical sensor data to eliminate noise interference and effectively solve the problems of missed detections, false alarms, and delayed early warnings in threshold-based monitoring methods. The vertical dimension uses different methods such as puncture and blunt needle compaction to simulate the thermal runaway process of power batteries with different capacities.
By using three-dimensional fusion and mathematical methods, based on a large amount of experimental and real-world operational data, the intrinsic relationships between various variables caused by thermal runaway are summarized. By adopting neurological principles, an extremely early, highly reliable, and self-operating "lithium-ion battery thermal runaway model" is formed, enabling early warning and intelligent control of potential battery malfunctions.
Numerous real-vehicle operation examples have demonstrated the effectiveness and advancement of this model, making it a core technology for current battery pack thermal runaway early warning and automatic fire suppression.
Early warning example 1
On March 12, 2017, a Level 2 warning (safety hazard level) was issued for battery box number 3 of a pure electric bus on Route 3 of the **Bus Company. The driver promptly reported this to the company and the bus was taken out of service. Data analysis showed that the gas content and rate of change of other battery boxes were normal, but the gas content and rate of change of battery box number 3 were significantly higher. It was determined that the battery was over-regulated for dangerous gases, possibly due to battery leakage. After collaborative efforts from the bus company, the bus manufacturer, and the battery company, the battery box was disassembled and inspected, confirming that it was indeed a battery leak. The battery was replaced, and the warning no longer occurred.
Early warning example 2
On March 19, 2017, a pure electric bus belonging to a certain bus company reported a Level 2 warning in compartment 7. The driver promptly reported this to the company and stopped operation. Data analysis determined that the warning was due to excessive levels of hazardous gases in the battery, possibly caused by battery leakage. Subsequent joint efforts by the bus manufacturer and the battery company led to an inspection of the compartment, confirming the battery leakage. After replacing the battery, the warning no longer triggered.
Numerous early warning instances observed during actual vehicle operation have demonstrated the effectiveness and necessity of the dedicated automatic fire suppression system for battery boxes.
03. Using forward development to break through industry bottlenecks
For most companies, the battery box-specific automatic fire extinguishing device industry is an emerging sector, and to grow and expand, they must quickly seize opportunities. However, Chuangwei believes that rapid development and solid technological development are not contradictory, but rather complementary. Without forward development capabilities, products can only be developed based on experience, which often comes from market trends. With forward development capabilities, product planning can be done based on market demand trends, allowing for the independent development of products that meet the needs of more niche markets.
Most importantly, manufacturers of automatic fire extinguishing devices for battery boxes, as OEM suppliers, lack the capability for independent development and will be unable to develop supporting technologies in sync with OEMs. This is currently the biggest bottleneck for the development of this emerging industry. Only by possessing the ability to develop supporting technologies in sync with OEMs can companies achieve sustainable development.
Judging from customer feedback after Chuangwei's products were launched to the market and comparisons with similar products, Chuangwei New Energy's insistence on positive development demonstrates great courage and strategic vision.
First, forward development ensures the reliability of the product itself. Chuangwei's products have passed the rigorous testing of many OEMs and battery companies, including CATL, Yutong, Yangtze Automobile, CALB, and SAIC Maxus.
Secondly, positive development ensures the safety and interests of customers. Among the market feedback collected, only Chuangwei products had cases of accurate early warnings preventing accidents; other products had no such cases. On the contrary, some products experienced multiple false alarms, leading to complaints from customers and manufacturers and causing significant compensation losses.
Third, positive development has enhanced the market competitiveness of the products. Chuangwei New Energy is a newcomer in the automotive industry with no connections or accumulated resources. However, relying on its strong product competitiveness, Chuangwei's sales revenue and market share have remained among the top in the industry and have been steadily increasing year by year.
Fourth, through its long-term and continuous investment in scientific research, Chuangwei New Energy has avoided the vicious competition caused by imitators' crude and crude copying, and has avoided falling into the quagmire of disorderly competition based on low prices. It has guided the entire industry onto a path of efficient development that emphasizes research and development and quality.
04. Establish a comprehensive R&D system guided by positive development principles.
Chuangwei New Energy currently possesses a relatively complete R&D system, thanks to the establishment of three major product development modules: intelligent design, mathematical model optimization, and simulation verification. The intelligent design module includes standardized design processes and standard design templates; the mathematical model optimization module includes advanced and practical analysis and evaluation tools and a high-performance integrated computing system; and the simulation verification module includes simulation verification of lithium iron phosphate batteries and ternary lithium batteries. The establishment of these three development modules is not simple; it represents long-term, continuous, and extensive technological accumulation.
After establishing these three major module systems, Chuangwei New Energy will have the ability to develop products in the forward direction, as well as the ability to develop projects in sync with the whole vehicle.
Through its comprehensive R&D system, Chuangwei has not only solved the bottlenecks in industry development and can develop products faster to meet market demands, but also continuously upgrade its products.
As market competition intensifies in the future, Chuangwei will focus on improving the basic performance of its products while prioritizing early warning of critical points. This will push the early warning stage of thermal runaway further forward, meeting the urgent market demand for thermal runaway monitoring and striving to create safer and more efficient products.
