Bosch uses small explosions to prevent electric shocks

Bosch has announced a new device that aims to prevent electric shocks from an EV after the vehicle has been involved in an accident. The Bosch system uses small explosive charges that are attached to the vehicle battery packs and go off to isolate the power supply in the event of a collision.Bosch notes that isolating the power supply in the event of an accident makes an EV safer for occupants, rescue crews, and first responders. Bosch has made semiconductor chips for a long time that control small explosions; its products control the deployment of airbags in cars.

Bosch says that its chips will be able to deactivate the vehicle's power circuits in "a fraction of a second" in the event of an accident. Bosch says that systems to isolate the battery from the vehicle systems are "absolutely essential" in the event of a collision to fulfill the mission of helping and rescuing victims of road accidents as quickly as possible.

The semiconductors are part of a pyrotechnical safety switch system or pyrofuse. The system is designed to "blow out" whole sections of the cable connection to the high-voltage battery using small explosive charges. The electrical system isolating charges are tied to the airbag sensor when the sensor detects an impact, the pyrofuse is triggered.

Bosch says that by isolating the battery pack in this manner, the risk of electrical shock or fire is eliminated. The Bosch chip is called the CG912 and is no larger than a fingernail. It was originally developed to trigger airbags and has performed millions of times in these situations reliably. Bosch notes that it also makes all sorts of chips and sensors for things like distance sensors, rain sensors, and more.