High-voltage contactors for emergency disconnection of Li-ion batteries

TTI Europe now stocks the HVC50 high-voltage contactors from TDK. These gas-filled ceramic contactors can safely and reliably handle continuous DC currents up to 600A and DC voltages of up to 1500V in Li-ion batteries in 30ms or less, depending on the type. The bi-directional design of the contactors means that they are ideal for charge and discharge batteries and power motor drive systems with regenerative braking.

The compact, UL-certified units measure 107.3mm x 94.2mm x 141mm (LxWxH) and weigh approximately 1,600g. The contactors have a dual coil construction with a working voltage of 24V and need 5.5W in continuous operation. The service life for resistive opening (450V/300A) is specified for 1500 operations, and at 750V/300A, this value is 750.

“These high-voltage contactors with high continuous current carrying capacity can be used in a wide range of applications where fast and reliable emergency disconnection of high DC voltages is required,” says Dermot Byrne, industry marketing director – Transportation at TTI Europe. “Typically, they are used in electric vehicles for fast disconnection of the lithium-ion battery as well as in DC charging stations. More recently, they are being used in stationary ESS, such as storage for photovoltaic or UPS systems.”