As electric cars and scooters gain ground in our cities, a major technical concern arises: managing safety in the event of potential failures in their energy storage systems. Although technology is advancing rapidly, the risk of a battery suffering a thermal malfunction remains one of the critical issues that industry and authorities in Spain are striving to resolve with the utmost urgency.
Collaboration between academia and the business sector is bearing fruit, allowing us to travel with complete peace of mind. Researchers at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) have joined forces with technology specialists to create tools that enable anticipate any possible incident, closely analyzing how lithium-ion batteries behave when subjected to extreme operating conditions or thermal stress.
AVL Thermos: a watchful eye to prevent heat loss
One of the most noteworthy advances recently presented is the AVL Thermos, an innovative device developed by the CMT-Clean Mobility & Thermofluids Institute of the UPV (Polytechnic University of Valencia) in collaboration with AVL Iberica. This device functions as a state-of-the-art calorimeter with the capacity to reproduce and monitor thermal leaks in a fully controlled environment, allowing engineers to understand exactly what happens inside a cell before a flame or explosion occurs.
This system is crucial because the sector faces a major challenge: batteries are becoming increasingly compact and storing much more energy. While this is great because we don't have to charge the car so often, it also complicates the internal security managementWhen a battery suffers what experts call "thermal runaway," a chain reaction of overheating occurs that can be very difficult to control without the proper protocols.
Thanks to this Valencian technology, it is now possible to evaluate with surgical precision various physical phenomena that affect the battery. According to the specialists involved in the project, having this information is key to design much more robust storage systems and insurance, analyzing the future of batteries for electric vehiclesensuring that, even in the event of failure, the consequences for the vehicle and its occupants are minimal.
The challenge of workplace safety and regulations in Spain
But safety doesn't just depend on the factory battery design; how these components are handled once the car enters the workshop for repair is also vital. In this regard, technicians from the Regional Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IRSST) of the Community of Madrid have issued warnings about the Emerging risks in maintenance of high-voltage vehicles. Working with these systems involves facing electrical and chemical hazards that did not exist in traditional gasoline engines.
Currently, Spain is in a somewhat unique situation, as the specific national regulations for these jobs are still being finalized. This forces professionals to to be based on European directives and international technical standards to ensure that operators do not face unnecessary risks. The lack of a fully developed and comprehensive legal framework means that specialized training is currently the best lifeline for mechanics and technicians in the sector.
At specialized workshops held at facilities like those of Apave España, the focus has been on the need for adequate ventilation systems and specific protective equipment for working with 400 volts or more. It's not just about putting out a fire if one occurs, but about... manage the release of toxic gases and prevent discharges that could be fatal if the disconnection and isolation steps established by current technical regulations are not followed.
The combination of cutting-edge research in fault detection and labor regulations that adapt quickly to real-world conditions is the way forward. Only through the integration of advanced monitoring devices like those developed in Valencia and a rigorous technical preparation in the workshops Across the country, we will ensure that electric mobility is both safe and efficient, eliminating fears about the reliability of new generation batteries in the face of thermal incidents.
