Eaton introduces ‘Breaktor’, a high-voltage protection device for EVs

Power management company Eaton announced that its eMobility business has expanded high-voltage circuit protection solutions for electrified vehicles (EVs) with the introduction of Breaktor, a new advanced circuit protection solution for EVs that combines the function of fuses, pyro switches and contactors into a single coordinated device.

As electric vehicle power levels increase, Breaktor solves the ever-increasing coordination challenge between fuses and contactors, and offers extremely fast, safe and reliable protection for high-power battery and inverter systems.

With less than 5-millisecond actuation up to 1,000 volts and 30,000 amps, Breaktor improves vehicle safety and protects components from any level of overcurrent condition more effectively than traditional circuit protection methods. Breaktor is resettable like a circuit breaker, which enables reactivation of the device following a functionality check, reducing cost for both the OEM and consumer, as well as improving customer satisfaction.

Breaktor is a new solution, which leverages Eaton industrial technology and Eaton automotive expertise to improve performance and reliability while providing architecture simplification.

“In the event of a collision, Eaton's Breaktor can work in tandem with a vehicle's safety systems,” said Jeff Lowinger, President, eMobility, Eaton. “This allows Breaktor to quickly disconnect the high-voltage battery from the rest of the vehicle for unparalleled protection and safety in the event of any unsafe condition.”

Breaktor provides EV manufacturers with several additional benefits, including a self-triggering device, able to sense a current spike and interrupt the circuit, a current limiting feature in the event of a short circuit, improving system level protection, independence from the current direction, which allows for both charging and driving use under full electrical load and multiple configurations, including voltage levels and multi-pole configurations.

Breaktor is based on proven technology produced by Eaton's Electrical Sector, a leading global producer of electrical equipment and systems. Breaktor will be introduced Oct. 29 at the SAE Innovations in Mobility conference in Novi, Mich.