k8ÓéÀÖ

We now have access to the building blocks to solve global challenges and help people thrive around the globe, while ensuring we live in harmony with the plants and animals that share our world. Together, our goal is empowering the world with essential innovations to support the adoption of more environmentally friendly modes of transportation for the automotive, rail, marine, and aviation industries. We must embrace the technologies that allow us to develop the next generation of vehicles that enable us to lower CO₂ footprints, combat rising temperatures, and ultimately transition away from fossil fuels.

The rising global temperatures highlight the importance of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The impact that automotive, rail, marine, and aviation industries have in this space cannot be understated. In most first-world countries, it is the transport sector that is now responsible for more emissions than any other. On a global level, the transportation industry contributes 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, this industry has an opportunity and moral obligation to change. Spurred on by government regulations, incentives, and rising sustainability trends, we are finally beginning to see the momentum required to make this transition.

Consumer Demand Drives Next Generation Electromobility

Electromobility is the principle of using electric propulsion for transportation. It is a fast-growing, emerging market centered on the transition from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE) to electric vehicles (EV). The market for EVs is supported by government incentives, regulation, technological advancements, and the demand for more mobility choices in transportation.

Consumer demand for increased range, quicker recharging times, larger vehicles, and larger batteries is increasing temperatures within EVs creating a new challenge for vehicle manufacturers. EVs such as lithium-ion batteries vehicles (LiBEV) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) are designed to operate within certain temperature limits; exceeding these limits can cause short circuits and vehicle shutdowns.

Vehicle manufacturers are turning to liquid cooling systems to manage these higher temperatures due to its efficiency, flexibility, and consistent performance versus other alternative thermal management systems. A liquid cooling system utilizes glycol coolant within a closed loop. Coolant circulates the closed network of channels, hoses, and components, maintaining temperatures. 

k8ÓéÀÖ Water Solution¡¯s Role in the Electrification of the Transportation Industry

Liquid cooling systems in electric vehicles also pose new challenges for electric vehicle manufacturers. With exposure to high temperatures over time, components within the loop degrade, impacting conductivity and pH levels, ultimately effecting the integrity and performance of the system. It is vital that the coolant loops for lithium-ion battery electric and fuel cell electric systems are kept clean from these contaminants. This is where k8ÓéÀÖ can help. 

k8ÓéÀÖ Water Solutions has developed a portfolio of ion exchange resins designed and patented for use in liquid cooling systems. These resins can be used in all types of EVs for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to use inside an ion exchange filter cartridge fitted into the liquid coolant loop. The ion exchange resins filter out particles, as well as take up organic components, metals and any charged ions, from the coolant that could potentially create conductance in the liquid and shorten the lifetime of the glycol coolant.

Share the Road

The threat of global warming continues to remain and there will be ever growing focus on sectors and industries who are biggest contributors to emissions. Now that there are alternative technologies that can significantly lower emissions and footprints of vehicles, it is only a matter of time before the transition to more environmentally friendly modes of transportation. The next generations of electromobility lie ahead.