Meaning
Mechanical vulnerability of tubing or conduits to localized stress concentrations can lead to premature failure under pressure or vibration. Evaluating cooling line notch sensitivity prevents coolant leaks in liquid-cooled battery packs where lines bend around sharp structural edges. This parameter dictates the material choice and wall thickness of the cooling circuit.
Stress Response
Microscopic surface imperfections or scratches from assembly tools act as stress concentrators during thermal cycling. Materials with high sensitivity propagate these small cracks rapidly, leading to coolant leakage. Selecting robust polymers reduces the risk of field failures.
Test Procedure
Standard tests involve introducing a controlled indentation into the tubing wall before applying cyclic pressure pulses. The number of cycles to failure determines the resistance of the design to structural degradation. This baseline helps engineers optimize the routing of the cooling system.
Sourcing Consideration
Procurement teams use this mechanical metric to compare different polymer formulations offered by extruded tubing suppliers. Specifying a material with low cooling line notch sensitivity allows the design of tighter bend radii without risking long-term cracking. This choice reduces the overall space required for the thermal management system.
High-quality materials save warranty costs over the lifetime of the electric vehicle.