Eaton combines tech to protect electric vehicle circuits

Eaton has unveiled a battery disconnect unit (BDU) that can be combined with upgraded Breaktor circuit protection to support electrified vehicles.

The BDU essentially serves as an on/off switch to the battery, depending on whether a vehicle is charging or driving.

Breaktor combines current switching and resettable bidirectional short-circuit protection with fact actuation, the company says. And the overall BDU can eliminate up to 15 additional components.

Traditional systems require pyro and thermal fuses and contactors, the company explains, noting the combined configurations lead to complexity, serviceability challenges, and fatigue under high current levels.

The combined Breaktor and BDU offers active and passive actuation in a single device, the ability to shift to an off state under a wide range of faults, improved safety, and the ability to reset after a high-energy fault. It also makes it possible to replace up to four high-voltage electrical components.


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