Delphi's Battery Disconnect Safety Device with New Engine Restart Option Further Enhances Passenger Safety
Technology prevents fires by pyrotechnically disconnecting vehicle batteries from unfused cables in case a short-circuit results from a collision
TROY, Mich., Aug. 9 -- Delphi Corporation's Battery Disconnect Safety Device (BDSD) is now available with a safe engine restart option that allows drivers to restart their vehicles after a minor collision if there are no electrical hazards. This is an industry first and further enhances passenger safety by allowing the driver to move a vehicle off the road to prevent the occurrence of a second collision.
Automobile crashes resulting in vehicle fires are 10 times as deadly as those not involving fire, according to insurance company statistics. Delphi's BDSD could prevent a portion of those fires.
Triggered by the electric signal of the airbag control system, Delphi's BDSD pyrotechnically disconnects the vehicle battery from unfused cables in case a short-circuit occurs.
In most vehicles, the cable connecting the battery with the starter and alternator -- the largest electrical cable in an automobile -- is completely unprotected. High currents that flow through this cable while starting the vehicle prohibit the use of fuses.
Because this cable is unprotected, current that continues to flow through the cable following a vehicle crash poses the threat of high-temperature short circuits and arcing, which could lead to a fire. Delphi's BDSD severs the connection in the very early stages of a crash.
Based on proven airbag technology, Delphi's BDSD is also more reliable, economical, safer and easier to install than similar products competitors have on the market, according to Claus-Werner Deutschmann, product group manager, energetic systems at Delphi.
Comprised of a small number of parts, all enclosed in a high-strength fiber-reinforced plastic housing, Delphi's BDSD costs 20 percent less than competitors' products.
There are no moving external parts and, due to the built-in electrostatic discharge protection, it is unlikely that an installer could trigger deployment of the pyrotechnic device. Even if deployment occurs during installation, it should not cause injury or damage, Deutschmann says, because the action all takes place within the closed housing and it is tested to be hand-safe.
This also makes replacement of an activated BDSD quick and easy. In most instances, two bolts hold it in place.
While the BDSD disconnects power from the vehicle battery to unfused cables, it does not sever power to the vehicle's safety functions such as door locks, hazard lights, interior lighting and automatic emergency call systems.
Employing devices to disconnect vehicle batteries during collisions has become increasingly popular in Europe and, to eliminate the risk of product liability lawsuits, some of these automakers have incorporated the feature in vehicles exported to the United States.
Delphi's BDSD meets all common specifications in the automotive industry, is free of heavy metals and is available for immediate production.
For more information about Delphi Corp. (Pink Sheets: DPHIQ), visit www.delphi.com/ .
Source: Delphi Corporation
CONTACT:
Barb Barkley
Delphi Corporation
Tel:+1-716-439-2594
barbara.a.barkley@delphi.com
Web site: www.delphi.com/media
