OILS & LUBRICANTS
Immersion cooling using dielectric fluids like Total Rubia EV for lithium batteries is proving key to mining BEV safety and success
Smooth operators
Oils and lubricants continue to ensure optimum mining equipment performance in extreme conditions , while for BEVs , dielectric fluids are a vital part of the mix , reports Paul Moore
Back in May 2023 , one of the presenting companies at The Electric Mine 2023 conference was TotalEnergies Lubrifiants – with Louis Thiery , Product Development Engineer Heavy-Duty and Off-Road Lubricants , talking on : ‘ What can fluids bring to the electrification of mining ?’ At the heart of this was the discussion of immersion cooling with fluids to increase the safety of the battery , regardless of the battery cell type used . For ultra-fast charging a better cooling capacity requires a better heat exchange between the cells and the coolant . Direct contact offers the best conditions . A dielectric fluid such as TotalEnergies ’ Rubia EV Fluid circulates in the module and is in direct contact with the cell . There is a large contact area , only one interface between cells and the coolant fluid plus the thermal interface is perfectly defined . At the same time , the fluid dielectric properties must remain stable throughout mining usage in spite of harsh operating conditions : rising temperatures , oxidation , humidity , particle abrasion .
Rubia EV Fluid can be offered in a Cell Shield formulation for maximum levels of safety . Thermal runaway propagation can be avoided and it has been proven in demonstrations made on different cell types , with total or partial immersion . It offers excellent performances due to the very high temperature of auto ignition (> 400 ° C ), which is the highest in the market on a product without fluorine and also has low viscosity . The usage of the Cell Shield can support the demonstration of the battery safety concept and the compliance with the ASIL level specified by the OEM . Usage is compatible with the new regulations where the thermal runaway is evaluated . Finally these dielectric fluids have the potential to reduce the cost and weight of the battery system – highlighting lighter and cheaper batteries with a simplified design .
Castrol continues collaboration with XING Mobility
Staying with the EV fluids topic , in 2021 , XING Mobility and Castrol , a wholly-owned subsidiary of BP PLC , partnered to develop XING Mobility ’ s immersion cooling battery technology further , utilising Castrol ’ s advanced thermal management fluid to deliver power and safety to the EV market . This has resulted in a solution for the XING Mobility IMMERSIO™ XM25 battery system which is particularly well suited to heavy-duty commercial applications , such as electrified vehicles used in the mining sector . It builds on the success of Xing Mobility ’ s breakthrough IMMERSIO™ 1.0 modular battery system , which
debuted in 2019 and has been key to the company ’ s market leadership in the field of immersion cooling technology .
XING Mobility has worked with Castrol on the deployment of Castrol ON EV Thermal Fluid with its 21700 NMC battery cells . The immersion cooling design maximises battery safety and performance , and offers very high levels of durability – proven through advanced engineering projects with Castrol and various customers worldwide . Castrol ON EV Thermal Fluid is circulated through the XING Mobility battery system , in direct contact with battery cells and with a dynamic flow rate to provide superior battery thermal management and optimal efficiency . IMMERSIO™ XM25 is equipped with active suppression against thermal runaway , 1C / 1.67C in charging / discharging , and 3,000 + cycle life . It can serve up to 800V by string . Xing Mobility also acquired UN38.3 and ECE R100 certificates for the next-generation product .
“ This type of immersion technology will become increasingly important for unlocking the full potential of electrified powertrains , powering the global mobility revolution ” said Royce Hong , Co-Founder & CEO of XING Mobility . “ IMMERSIO™ XM25 is ready for the most demanding applications – including commercial vehicles and heavy equipment . We look forward to collaborating with our partners and customers to accelerate the electrification transformation for all business fleets .”
Bel-Ray ' s top tier solutions
Bel-Ray ’ s top tier , open gear lubricants it says are stronger and more fortified than ever . Molylube ® SF100 Semi-Synthetic Open Gear Lubricant is a top tier , grease-type open gear lubricant . It has a semi-synthetic base fluid and an aluminum complex thickener , and it offers the highest level of extreme pressure , anti-wear and retention performance . There is a grade of Molylube ® SF100 Semi-Synthetic Open Gear Lubricant for all point of application temperatures between -50 ° C and + 50 ° C . Molylube ® SF100 OG Open Gear Lubricant is a top tier , grease-type open gear lubricant . It offers all of the high performance features of the Molylube ® SF100 Semi-Synthetic Open Gear Lubricant in a mineral oil based product . There is a grade of Molylube ® SF100 OG Open Gear Lubricant for all point of application temperatures between -5 ° C and + 35 ° C . Molylube ® Gear Tac Tacky Open Gear Lubricant is a high viscosity , semi-synthetic open gear compound . Its high viscosity promotes exceptional film formation and maintenance for both rolling and sliding contacts . The product offers the highest level of extreme pressure , antiwear and retention performance . There is a grade of Molylube ® Gear Tac Tacky Open Gear Lubricant
International Mining | JULY 2023