x

About Us
Advertise with us
Newsletter
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions

Auto News
Latest Auto News
Auto Technology

ETAutoEVC: Tapping on EV thermal management solutions for India

While rebooting to a greener world of e-mobility, India will need to move past a host of challenges, one amongst which is to understand and resolve the
country-specific engineering needs of battery cooling solutions and the range anxiety.

Shubhangi Bhatia
ETAuto
June 23, 2020, 16:17 IST

New Delhi: Experiencing mild winters and very hot summers, India is dominated by tropical, arid and
semi-arid climatic zones, which daunts the country with challenges of cabin cooling systems for most
According to Kulkarni, 10°C change in the passenger cars and some public transport vehicles, said Anand Kulkarni, Product Line Director, EV & X4,
ambient temperature can result in 8 to 10 PVBU, Tata Motors as part of the Knowledge Session at the day-long ETAuto EV Conclave on Tuesday.
percent effect on the range of the vehicle
Since Electric Vehicles (EVs) are powered by electricity, all the major components like battery, power
electronics, e-drive and passenger cabin are a source of heat. Even though the heat generated is proportional to the resistance for the current, the
operating temperature of these components need to be optimised and monitored for better performance of applications and lifespan of batteries.

Now, for Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, temperatures can be allowed to go upto 110°C without much issues, however the temperature range
for EV components need to be maintained within 75 degree, Kulkarni explained.

“This is so because batteries have a restricted amount of energy, which makes it important to ensure their maintenance at comfortable temperatures for
enhancing the range of the vehicles.”

One way to do this is by optimising and deploying the Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS) which can perform the task of cooling, heating,
insulation and ventilation. “Insulation, specifically, is an important feature in hot markets like India since it allows the battery to remain close to ideal
temperature for long,” Kulkarni pointed out.

According to him, the optimal zone of best performance for a li-ion battery lies between 15 to 35°C, which he describes as the Goldilocks zone. Doing so
helps to maintain optimum temperature, prevent thermal runaway and balance the temperature differential in various cells inside the pack so it does not
exceed a value of 3 to 4°C.

ETAutoEVC: Tapping on EV thermal management solutions for India

Types of thermal management systems

Segmented into Active and Passive, by combination, there are four distinct types of thermal management systems available for EVs. One, Air based
Passive system which depends on directing the airflow on components to evacuate extra heat.

Another is the Air-based Active system where the air is conditioned before directing onto the components. This works well specifically for batteries
because other components are already in open air, which makes the activity of directing conditioned air futile.

Third is the Water-based Passive system which depends on conducting heat transfer effectively through pumped coolant to prevent hot spots in EVs. And
last, a Water-based Active system which will condition the coolant to maintain components at a pre-decided temperature.

Which system is better?

The systems can be analysed and chosen through a trade-off between performance, reliability, safety, cost, energy consumption, weight and size.

Goldilock zone of best performance for li-ion battery lies between 15 to 35°C~

For instance, the Air cooling system offers low weight and low complexity. However, balancing it for components like batteries may be difficult because
they are large-sized and directing the airflow to a specific part may pose a challenge.

Combined Liquid Cooling system is more controllable. It has the potential of increasing the battery pack efficiency, and working for heating as well as
cooling. However, it is comparatively expensive and robustness will be needed to avoid any leakages inside the components.

Citing an example, Kulkarni said, an active air-cooled system would be most ideal for an application in a low power, small-sized, small duty cycle vehicle.
While a fairly high power motor, reasonably sized battery and a medium-duty load cycle would prefer a combined liquid cooling system.

Additionally, the cost breakup for an active air cooling system is appreciably lower as compared to combined liquid cooling, the EV expert explained.

It must also be noted that after the Jaguar I-PACE, Chevrolet Bolt EV, and the upcoming lineup of Audi e-tron, Hyundai Motor India also launched a new
automotive BTMS for an entire new generation of EVs. However, unlike most other designs that have been using a fan for their battery packs, Hyundai’s
new design involves liquid-cooling of the Kona Electric (2019) pack battery cells.

As per several reports, Tesla Inc. has also been putting efforts on boosting performance of its EVs on ice and snow through automotive BTMS innovations,
considering the sensitivity of li-ion batteries in extreme temperatures.

ETAutoEVC: Tapping on EV thermal management solutions for India

What happens if the battery temperature moves away from Goldilock Zone?

Not maintaining the temperatures between the Goldilock Zones can result in losing energy which could have been utilised on traction. Eventually, the
range of vehicle will drop, Kulkarni noted.

The decrease in the operating temperature can reduce the reaction rate and the battery power capacity. Meanwhile, high temperature can increase the
reaction rate with higher power output. It can also increase the heat dissipation and generate even higher temperatures, resulting in a thermal runaway,
leading to a destructive result.

https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/auto-technology/etautoevc-tapping-on-ev-thermal-managemen
Created with PrintWhatYouLike.com
 Active air cooling system is low cost as compared to combined liquid cooling~

Thus the BTMS becomes important to avoid spending higher energy in maintaining the cabin comfort and thermal optima of the system.

According to Kulkarni, every watt of energy needs to be saved. “A 10°C change in the ambient temperature can cause roughly 8 to 10 percent change in
thermal load of EVs, which results in 8 to 10 percent effect on the range of the vehicle as well,” he said.

Some of the most prominent players actively participating in the competitive landscape of the global automotive BTMS market are doing so, either by
strategic collaborations or emphasising new product launches.

A few of these include Continental AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, Mahle Behr GmbH, Hanon Systems, Dana Incorporated, LG Chem., Gentherm Incorporated,
Calsonic Kansei Corporation, CapTherm Systems, and VOSS Automotive.

Experts in the industry also believe that with increasing acceptance from evolving consumer demographics and tightening regulatory standards, it is more
likely that the automotive BTMS market will continue to discover high potential opportunities in the years to come.

Worldwide, the market is anticipated to reach around USD 5.4 billion by 2026, as per a research report.

The ETAuto EV Conclave Event is supported by Siemens, Ansys, Altair, Keysight Technologies and BASF.

https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/auto-technology/etautoevc-tapping-on-ev-thermal-managemen
Created with PrintWhatYouLike.com
 Supported by:

https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/auto-technology/etautoevc-tapping-on-ev-thermal-managemen
Created with PrintWhatYouLike.com