Effect of Current Flow on the Galvanic Corrosion in Electrical Parts of Electric Vehicles

In this study, the effect of current flowthrough electrical parts on galvanic corrosion behavior was investigated. To predict the corrosion rate of galvanic coupled electrical parts, an equivalent circuit was constructed, encompassing both galvanic and external currents. Following the circuit, the corrosion current equation was formulated based on Kirchhoff's law, which consists of the following parameters: external current, solution resistance, contact resistance, and galvanic cell voltage. To validate the formula, the calculated mass loss was compared with the experimental mass loss after one week of immersion tests. According to the corrosion current formula, the contact resistance and galvanic cell voltage between the galvanic coupled materials should be minimized to reduce the corrosion failure of electrical parts.