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Writer's pictureBriter Products, Inc.

Tougher Than Fire: Briter Batteries Still Working After Fire Damage

Updated: May 7, 2022

***MEDIA RELEASE***


South Bend, IN— An RV equipped with Briter lithium Ion-ReadyTM batteries was in an unrelated fire. RV owner Henry DeKock explained that while no one was hurt, the entire RV had been coated in a protective foam to prevent the fire from starting again. The Briter batteries appeared destroyed. He called and asked us to take a look and see if they were salvageable. We happily obliged so we could understand what happened and see if we needed to make improvements. We hooked up a new lithium-ion compatible converter charger, and the first battery we tested charged right back up. It was operating at 99% efficiency! “The fire had clearly damaged and melted the charger for the coach battery compartment.” Says Avanti Lalwani, president of Briter Products. “All Briter Ion-ReadyTM batteries have a strong non-conductive steel housing, so we knew the structural integrity of both batteries was maintained. Had the batteries been in a plastic housing, it is much more likely that the heat would have melted the outer housing and destroyed them.” Unlike other batteries, the Briter battery is made to be serviceable. While nothing seemed out of place in the internal battery workings, the battery was not holding any voltage. After installing a new circuit board on the battery and hooking it up to a charger, it was charging at nearly 100% efficiency! A third-party lab analyzed the damaged circuit board. The lab confirmed that the heat had melted the converter charger and shorted out the wires. They found that one or more of the MOSFETs on the internal protective circuit had tripped and prevented the circuit from conducting power. Functioning much like a household circuit breaker, the MOSFET protected the entire battery setup, from the first battery’s cells to the second battery and the rest of the circuit. “We were delighted that the design and engineering of the batteries had protected the DC circuit and ultimately saved some of the DeKock’s investment.” Lalwani said. “Despite the burn damage and being doused in fire-extinguishing chemicals that are usually deadly to batteries, the batteries were still functional! We only had to reassemble the batteries and have our engineering department perform a final safety and quality inspection.” Located in South Bend, IN, Briter Products is an experienced leader in developing electronic and mechanical solutions for transportation, education, and government customers. Our long reputation in local and global industry guarantees access to the latest technical developments and procedures, equipment, and test methods. We put technology to work for you.

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