Developers of new eVTOL aircraft insist their multirotor designs will be safer than any helicopter or airplane flying today, thanks to their highly redundant distributed electric propulsion systems. However, the lithium-ion battery technology that will power most of these aircraft has earned a bad reputation in recent years, with media outlets reporting instances of battery fires in electric cars, bikes, and scooters, as well as laptops and smartphones.
These fires are caused by a phenomenon called thermal runaway, in which a battery’s temperature skyrockets uncontrollably, leading to spontaneous combustion. Battery packs are typically designed with safeguards to prevent overheating and contain any unlikely fires that might erupt. However, thermal runaway events can still happen for a number of reasons, such as manufacturing defects, traumatic impacts, or increasing ambient temperatures. Although these occurrences are relatively rare, it’s a risk that electric aircraft developers cannot ignore.
Thankfully, researchers have recently come up with some innovative methods to predict and prevent thermal runaway events before they happen, allowing battery manufacturers and aircraft developers to take a more proactive approach to dealing with the risk of battery fires. In a recent blog posted to Medium, a group of researchers and strategists with investment firm Mobility Impact Partners detail several promising new technologies that can help to “predict, detect, and proactively intervene, ensuring that thermal runaway never gains a foothold.”
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