Fact
With lithium-ion batteries, safety is a primary concern. The question isn't whether these batteries are safe as issues have been on the rise. Rather, the question is how can we make them safer?
SafeCore lithium-ion making batteries safer and enabling the next wave of innovation
Enabling next generation batteries with SafeCore…
SafeCore battery technology makes current battery designs safer and enables breakthroughs in new design and battery chemistries.
In some cases, up to 70% of the weight of a battery pack in an electric vehicle can be in the steel encasement that contains the lithium batteries. This heavy encasement helps protect the battery cells from abuse and the driver in the event of thermal run away. SafeCore can enable a safer, lighter pack design, which can mean a longer range.
Amionx is a spinout from American Lithium Energy (ALE). ALE manufactures custom batteries for military applications. ALE received a grant from the Department of Energy, ARPA-E program to study the ability to create a battery pack that was so safe for electric vehicles that it could be used as part of the protection system for the driver. This funding, combined with ALE’s work with the U.S. Army to create a bullet-safe battery, is what led to the creation of SafeCore.
SafeCore equipped battery vs. standard li-ion
Watch VideoSafeCore benefits optimizing the safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries
A better battery means a stronger industry across the board.
Safety
- Arrests thermal run-away caused by internal short, overcharge, impact or heat at the individual battery cell level providing protection from explosion and fire.
Applicable to any high energy density battery
- Other theories don’t provide same level of safety or performance
Ease of integration
- Virtually NO increase in bill of materials
- NO major capital expenditures required
- Manufacturer can implement within six months
- NO increase in cycle time
Increased lifespan of battery
- Increased cycle life
- Increased shelf life
- Slower loss of charge over life of battery
Minimizes safety as concern for design
- Smaller and lighter systems
- Less expensive system
SafeCore technology battery safety from the inside out
SafeCore acts like a fuse at the core of a battery to shut down the flow of electricity in the cell if it is headed toward thermal runaway, or in layman’s terms – fire or explosion! Additionally, SafeCore will allow battery engineers to push the envelope in design to allow for more energy dense batteries.
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When a battery heats up, threatening to catch fire, Amionx’s special material acts like an electrical fuse, creating a physical gap between two key components of the battery.
Sean Hollister
SafeCore, by amionx a history of high performance and safety
Amionx spun from American Lithium Energy (ALE) in 2016. ALE is known for solving some of the most complex problems the U.S. armed forces can throw at them, including developing batteries for unmanned vehicles, advanced weapons systems and other critical applications designed to be used under demanding conditions. They’ve built batteries that have doubled the flight time of unmanned vehicles. They’ve even created a battery capable of launching a missile from -40C to 50C in temperature range.
The U.S. Army challenged ALE to create a battery that was bullet-safe. Soldiers on the battlefield only had two minutes to get a lithium-ion battery off their body if it was hit by a bullet, as the battery would explode or burst into flames. Enter SafeCore. ALE delivered a bullet-safe battery. No fire. No thermal runaway. We keep a bad day from becoming a worse day for a soldier.
Meet the Team