Modern battery electric vehicle architectures face new challenges due to higher charging rates, increased energy storage, and compact system design. These factors lead to faster fault development and shorter decision windows for circuit protection systems.
Traditional protection methods, which rely on coordinating contactors, fuses, and pyrotechnic devices, may struggle with higher fault energy. Short-circuit currents in next-generation systems can reach the 20 kA to 30 kA range, narrowing the operational margin for legacy components.
Engineers are shifting toward integrated, resettable protection devices to replace single-use components. This approach eliminates coordination dependencies and allows for recovery from manageable events, which helps reduce vehicle downtime and total cost of ownership.
The Breaktor device integrates current switching and bidirectional short-circuit protection for systems up to 900V. It can reduce the battery disconnect unit assembly by up to 15 components by combining the coil driver, economizer, and sensing circuits.
The FLEX PDU system provides central protection for commercial electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. It can be integrated with Breaktor to provide over-current protection for high-power loads such as traction inverters and fast-charging systems.
