Dana Holding Corp. on Thursday, July 21, announced that it successfully is introducing new technologies that are helping automakers bring alternative-energy vehicles to market. Dana has developed both air and liquid battery cooling technologies for a number of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, most recently an electric vehicle sedan to be launched in Europe by a European OEM later this year. In addition, the company continues to develop new technologies to advance automakers’ development of fuel-cell powered vehicles.
“Dana has great capability in the traditional areas of thermal and sealing technology, and we have leveraged that expertise into new and innovative areas such as electric car and fuel cell development,” says Roger J. Wood, chief executive officer and president of Dana. “Alternative power generation for automobiles is going to require the collective efforts of the OEM and suppliers to achieve critical mass. We will continue to support these technologies, not only to participate in the market growth, but also to help create a viable market for green power.”
Dana’s lightweight fin technology is designed to extend battery life by enabling optimal cooling of its European customer’s electric vehicle’s lithium-ion battery pack while it charges. The patent-pending system helps the automaker overcome the challenge of removing heat from tightly packed battery cells through the use of flexible aluminum fins that create a channel for air to reach the surface of each cell module.
“Using our knowledge of thermal technologies, Dana developed a specialized air cooling assembly that works within the limited space between the battery’s tightly packed cells,” says George Constand, Dana’s chief technology officer. “Our engineering expertise allowed us to provide a flexible, custom solution to our customer in order to best meet the unique demands of this exciting vehicle.”
The assemblies are manufactured at Dana’s facility in Guiscard, France. Dana’s advanced battery cooling technologies have been featured on 16 hybrid-electric and electric vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt, Ford Focus, Ford Transit Connect, and Tesla Roadster Sport.
