New EV Battery Coolant 3x As Effective As Water

Researchers in Germany say their experimental new coolant for electric vehicle batteries can absorb three times as much heat as plain water.

Called CryoSol, the material which is made of water, droplets of solid paraffin, surfactant and a "dash" of glycol antifreeze has the look and consistency of a vanilla milkshake.

Developers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology in Oberhausen say their coolant, which is still in the laboratory development stage, could help prolong EV battery life by maintaining operating temperatures within an ideal range of 20 C-35 C (68 F-95 F).

CryoSol absorbs extra heat when paraffin droplets held in suspension melt. As the liquid cools, the droplets release their stored heat and solidify. The researchers say their primary technical challenge was to find a surfactant that makes the dispersion stable and prevents the paraffin droplets from agglomerating or floating to the surface.

The developers studied the performance of surfactants in terms of their ability to maintain dispersion when stored, pumped through pipes and exposed to freeze/thaw cycles. Their next research step will be to evaluate CryoSol in an experimental vehicle.