Canadian tech firm delivers wintery upgrade for cars

Betterfrost Technologies, Oakville ON, has developed breakthrough technologies to solve the defrosting problem in automobiles. Using proprietary algorithms and high-density power conversion modules to deliver pulsed power, car and truck windows can be defrosted in 60 seconds using 20x less energy than existing HVAC defrost systems.

Traditional approaches to defrosting icy windshields channel waste heat generated by internal combustion engines (ICE) to the windshield. This inefficiently distributes heat unevenly across the windshield surface. As more electric vehicles take to the road, their battery-powered in-cabin climate systems imitate these crude defrosting techniques.

Figure 1 The breakthrough Betterfrost technology leverages pulsed power and high-density power modules to melt ice on automobile glass in less than 60 seconds while using 20x less energy. Image source: Betterfrost Technologies

Additionally, because EV cabins are sealed tighter for noise reduction, interior fogging becomes a bigger problem. EVs therefore need to re-think their approach to de-icing measures since traditional HVAC methods are inefficient and ineffective as freezing temperatures can also ice over windshields quickly while on the road, dangerously obscuring visibility.

More importantly, as passenger cars and commercial trucks transition to electric powertrains, that “free” heat byproduct disappears, leaving EVs to draw energy from the main battery to defrost and defog – depleting the power that also provides propulsion.

Short-circuit conventional defrost methods

Launched in 2015 out of Dartmouth College’s Ice, Climate and Environment (ICE) Lab, Betterfrost Technology is built on a breakthrough discovery: ice doesn’t need be completely melted to be removed from the windshield; it’s enough to weaken the bond between ice and glass at the “interfacial layer.”

To do this, Betterfrost sends short, controlled pulses of power through the glass surface, which creates a thin quasi-liquid layer beneath the ice that causes it to release instantly from the windshield without heating the entire surface.

Figure 2 The Vicor BCM functions as a DC-DC transformer. A fixed-ratio converter reacts to power changes at a rate of 80 A/s. Betterfrost uses pulsed energy to melt a very thin interfacial ice layer in less than a minute (its record is 42 seconds) compared to 25 minutes for traditional HVAC systems. This technology uses a proprietary algorithm to melt the ice in uniform manner and while consuming 20x less energy than the legacy approach. Image Source: Betterfrost Technologies

Proprietary power algorithm

Many windshields and glass roofs use low-emissivity (low-E) conductive coatings, like silver or indium tin oxide, and these serve as the electrical pathway for the proprietary Betterfrost power control algorithms. Betterfrost technology can defrost an ice-covered windshield in less than a minute compared to roughly 25 minutes for traditional HVAC systems – using about 95 percent less energy than internal combustion vehicles. The technique applies heat evenly across the surface, reducing stress on the glass that can cause cracking. It also lowers cabin heating demands by up to 27% at −20°C, directly extending EV range.

The elimination of noisy blower motors and bulky air ducts improves passenger comfort and frees up valuable space that automotive engineers can reclaim for other uses.

Betterfrost technology is well suited for other industries, too. It can replace costly glycol spray used to defrost airplane wings, eliminate dangerous ice build-up on wind turbine blades, and lower cold storage refrigeration costs by enabling more energy-efficient defrost cycles.

Converter modules deliver precision 48V power

A critical piece of the Betterfrost solution is a 48V-centric power delivery network. For this they rely on power-dense, automotive-qualified 800V- and 400V-to-48V fixed-ratio Vicor BCM bus converters to deliver safe and efficient high-speed pulses to glass surfaces.

The Vicor BCM6135 delivers a power density of 3.4kW/in3 and functions as a dc-dc transformer, where the voltage applied to the high-voltage input is transformed to the low-voltage side according to the module’s conversion ratio, or K factor. For example, with a K of 1/16 and an 800V input, the output voltage is 50V.

“Vicor makes 48V power delivery easy to derive without excessive size or weight limitations,” said Betterfrost CEO and automotive industry veteran, Derrick Redding. “Nobody else does what they do at that level of efficiency and power density.”

Tailwinds projected for the road ahead

Betterfrost is actively engaging automakers, Tier 1 suppliers and fleet operators, engaging with early adopters in commercial trucks and premium EVs. Over the next three to five years, the company expects to expand automotive deployment in EV and hybrid platforms. From a laboratory insight to an automotive disruptor, Betterfrost is building out its ecosystem with partners like Vicor to redefine how vehicles handle one of winter’s most common and hazardous problems.