26 That approach could be seen as wasteful if the old batteries were simply discarded, but Volvo Group made sure they were put to use, and Fotopoulos reveals: “We have a division called Volvo Energy, and one of the solutions it provides is a Battery Energy Storage System [BESS] – I like to call it a battery in a box. “It’s an alternative to a diesel generator, enabling you to bring in power to an off-grid site – so the batteries that were removed from our customers’ vehicles were given a secondary life in those BESS units. Maybe there’s even a third life after some reconditioning, but we certainly don’t recycle them right away.” Operation Given that this vehicle is typically purchased and used by state-run authorities, with a use case that requires it to be operated in urban locations, safety was one of the most important criteria on the design specification. To meet stringent requirements, Mack decided to go beyond expected industry standards and implement a four-stage safety system. “The wires are coloured orange to stick out – so the first rule is do not touch orange,” points out Fotopoulos, before going on to outline the actual safety systems. “Safety is the utmost importance in all our products, we tackle that with redundancy, so the systems we incorporate are comprehensive in electrical protection protocols. “The first aspect, which is an automatic preventative, is the High Voltage Interlock Loop. This is a loop circuit that monitors all the connections and circuits in the 600 V powertrain system. If it senses any interruption whatsoever, the traction batteries will be disconnected within milliseconds. That is the number one safety protocol that we have. “The next is the automatic preventative whole battery temperature monitoring system. This keeps a constant check on everything and provides feedback to the user, from simple warning lights and messages, through de-rating and right up to telling the driver to pull over immediately and shut down the vehicle. Those systems are built in and trigger automatically. “Next, when it comes to the more manual aspects, there is a highDossier | Mack Trucks LR Electric Electric power brings with it added safety requirements Mack decided to go beyond expected industry standards and implement a four-stage safety system
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