New switch puts an end to exploding batteries

Check it Sony, 'cause if necessity is the mother of invention then you're about to be calling the ETRI daddy. Coming a bit too late for some, ETRI (Telecommunications Research Institute of Korea) have developed what they call a Critical Temperature Switch to prevent exploding batteries in mobile devices. Smaller, but more reliable than ceramic sensors, the new switches use a Mott Metal-Insulator Transistor or MIT, to prevent batteries from swelling and exploding in a violent discharge triggered by overheating. Ultimately, ETRI expects to integrate over 16,000 of the Critical Temperature Switches or 5,000 explosion-proof systems into a film just 2-inches in diameter. For the time being, they are looking for partners to develop their commercially ready technologies into product. Hey Sony, you paying attention?

[Justin @ Sep 21st 2006 9:00AM]

Korea has been doing a great job with tech recently. Twenty years ago it was a different country... but looking at it now I am thoroughly pleased by the how their companies have been performing.

Perhaps Dells and Apples will be allowed back on planes shortly...

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 21st 2006 9:15AM]

This idea will surely be supressed by the Fire Extinguisher Consortia.

[kaztm @ Sep 21st 2006 9:25AM]

Aren't similar prevention mechanisms already employed by many electronic device manufacturers? I thought that Dells burst into flames because they cut costs on these measures.

[Adam @ Sep 21st 2006 9:26AM]

Time to invest!

[Devon pack @ Sep 21st 2006 10:03AM]

It's about time someone did something!

[Will @ Sep 21st 2006 10:57AM]

I thought the batteries exploded because the shoddy manufacturing exposed the chemicals inside to oxygen.

[Phace @ Sep 21st 2006 11:01AM]

This is a non-issue. No switch is going to prevent a fire in the kinds of problems that caused the Sony batteries to fail. The problem was with contamination of metal pieces in the manufacturing process, which could cause a short-circuit within the battery itself- essentially causing a heat-building short-cicuit within the battery. No external switch, thermal or otherwise will prevent a short like this.

Only quality control at the manufacting plant, or maybe a redesign would prevent this in the future.

[lao.soup @ Sep 21st 2006 12:38PM]

Okay, so lets say this little switch... blows up? What then??

[Alex @ Sep 21st 2006 2:19PM]

somebody's gotta do something. Several airlines (Korean, Virgin Atlantic and Quantas) are putting restrictions on Apple and Dell laptop use onboard.

[Brandonrawks @ Sep 21st 2006 3:38PM]

Hee Hee. Mott.

[Zevezeda @ Sep 21st 2006 3:44PM]

Hee Hee... He said Mott... KJ whaddya think of that? ;)

[Motface McGillicutty @ Sep 21st 2006 3:49PM]

Oh hee to the second power. Mott = dew-dew and that makes me laff my crack off.

[Mike Jenkins @ Sep 21st 2006 3:54PM]

It's about time.

[intentsly @ Sep 22nd 2006 9:58AM]

Stay off crack, human or otherwise. :)
Thats true to what Phace has said. Its an internal short, so, nothing external to it will stop the short. (apart from maybe alerting you to press the emergency battery eject button and clear the area) :D ha ha ho ho eheheheee