HXLIFE Foils.
Revolutionary heat management technology for EV batteries.
Taking the heat out of EV batteries.
HXLIFE™ (Heat eXchange Lightweight Isothermal Flexible Extraction) Foils are a truly unique thermal management system for EV batteries – taking Reaction Engines’ rocket heat exchanger technology and adapting it for the EV sector. Thin, lightweight and flexible, they work by pulling heat away from the battery through a vapour chamber in the centre layer.
Designed to deliver greater safety
and performance.
As well as enabling faster charge times and longer vehicle range, HXLIFE Foils offer significant safety benefits when compared to more traditional battery thermal management systems. While these systems are mostly active, using a heat pump which can fail during a fire – HXLIFE Foils vapour chamber technology is passive and therefore more reliable in extreme temperatures.
By installing HXLIFE Foils in your EV batteries, you get a safer, simpler system – and improved benefits for vehicle producers and end users.
Safer. Simpler. More reliable.
Our patented HXLIFE Foils have demonstrated that they outperform more traditional battery thermal management systems in fire insulation testing.
Our testing shows that the Foils are proven to bring cell temperature down after a fire starts – and they double the time it takes for the fire to spread to other cells. By isolating individual cells that have failed or caught fire, HXLIFE Foils stop the heat escaping into other cells – preventing the entire battery from immediately catching fire.
HXLIFE Foils are a simple yet robust thermal management solution which boost performance and efficiency of electric vehicles. Key benefits include:
10x Reduction in cell temperature variation
Increases performance and minimises cycle times
Ultra-lightweight
Recyclable - non toxic material
High reliability,
low complexity
Flexible /conformable construction
Faster charging.
Longer range.
HXLIFE Foils also address the key concerns of consumers and the main barriers to the uptake of electric vehicles, by enabling faster charge and discharge rates, significantly increased range and time between charges, and offer overall cost saving benefits through efficiency
and extended life.
They do this by achieving isothermal performance across the entire surface of the foils.
With conventional solutions, the characteristic gradient of conductive heat transmission causes thermal stress.
HXLIFE Foils remove hotspots through direct energy exchange between unconnected areas.
Isothermal conditions are achieved across the surface of each cell, allowing uniform thermal management.
This technology was developed in part under the UK Advanced Propulsion Centre’s Technology Development Acceleration Programme, and has been externally validated by Imperial College London as part of the Faraday Battery Challenge.
Making beyond possible in EV batteries.
Technical specifications.
| Density: | 1,867 kg/m3 |
| Thickness: | 1.65 mm |
| Isothermal (across contact area): | +/- 1°C |
| Measured Effective Thermal Conductivity: | >660 w/m·K |
| Specific heat: | 800 J/kg/K |
* All characteristics and values in the table are indicative of the current design and are subject to change depending on internal design and material choices which can be adapted depending on the application and requirements.
Technical benefits.
10x Reduction in cell temperature variation
Cell Temperature
Uniformity +/- 1 degree Celcius
Up to Continuous
4°C Charge Rate
Increase performance & minimise cycle times or de-rates
Up to 85%* mass reduction of intracell cooling system
*Compared to Aluminium Cold Plate Systems
<1.5mm thin
~9% of Cell Mass compared to typical LG66A pouch cell
High reliability low complexity
Minimise thermal system complexity & reliability issues
Highly Recyclable
No toxic or rare materials
50% more effective in independent tests.
Independent tests show that HXLIFE Foils can extract up to 50% more heat from EV batteries than traditional active systems. Our Foils are designed so that they are compatible with all 3 cell formats: pouch, prismatic, cylindrical – making them easy to retrofit into existing batteries.
TRL5 demonstration test of foils in a retrofit battery
- 20S1P pouch (60Ah cells) 70V battery module
- Standard cooling method with cell contacting aluminium plates and a water-cooling cold plate bolted on the side (water-glycol)
- Aluminium plates replaced by HXLIFE Foils – everything else left the same
- Tested at Horiba Mira (1C charge, 3C discharge, ULEB drive profile)
- Foils demonstrated up to 50% higher heat extraction with potential to go higher by improving cold plate interface
- Cell temperature gradient reduced to +/- 0.5°C
TRL5 test results based on 3C discharge and hot start
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