China’s CATL, one of the world’s largest battery manufacturers, has an aviation battery system developed for passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) which has passed a verification test showing no thermal runaway propagation when two adjacent cells were triggered. It is the world’s first aviation battery system using prismatic cells with an energy density as high as 350 Wh/kg to pass such a test, CATL said in a statement on Sunday.
“During the test, CATL simultaneously triggered two adjacent cells at different locations in the pack, including the middle and the corners, with no thermal propagation occurring,” according to reports.
“Thermal runaway propagation is one of the core risks of high-energy-density batteries, and it is especially sensitive in aviation applications. The industry typically verifies that propagation does not occur after a single cell is triggered. Triggering two adjacent cells at the same time is far more demanding.”
CATL reports the aviation battery system is ready for mass production and will first be used in passenger eVTOL aircraft from Autoflight, a company it backs.
(Image: CATL)
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CATL aviation battery clears key safety test, paving way for use in eVTOLs