Research and Demonstration of Key Technologies for Reliable and Efficient Application of New Energy Vehicles in China and Norway

Battery electric vehicles are very energy efficient, utilising above 90% of the electric energy supplied. Reaching local and global environment friendly public urban transport is therefore often realised using battery electric buses. Norway and China are in international forefront in this, and bilateral collaboration is thus natural. Battery Electric buses often need to be taken out of operation for additional charging, and many bus operating companies therefore buy more buses than desired. This is an extra cost for the operators, and in turn for the entire public transport system. Charging more during the day, known as opportunity charging, today typically takes place at end stops between routes and typically so using stationary pantograph chargers. Many have seen a pantograph as the elbow joint arm reaching up to a power cable of a moving train or tram. Stationary pantographs are commonly recognised by an arm reaching down to a bus from a charging tower tof a bus standing still. A challenge with these is that they are located distributed and require some 10-30 seconds before charging starts. This project focuses on induction charging for buses and high power inductive charging in particular. Similar to how one can put one?s cellular phone on an induction board an having it charging immediately (compared to fiddling with cables, sockets, etc.), one can also charge buses using inductive charging momentaneously when they arrive at a bus stop. If so, the buses can be in charging mode before the bus has even stopped, and to the point when they drive on. The currently developed technology so far allows only for moderate charging power and this project aims to develop open knowledge for how high power inductive charging can be realised for buses. If a bus charges 10-30 seconds extra per charging at 500 kW, these buses gain 30% more daily driving range, and the operators won?t need extra buses. Thus this project contributes to cheaper bus service for everyone.

This project will contribute to the development and utilisation of technology for electrification of transportation systems with the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and local pollution. The Norwegian part of the project will include research activities within three main areas, including i) power system modelling, infrastructure planning and big data analysis for estimation of power requirements and load profiles for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. ii) Development of design methodologies and control strategies for wireless power transfer systems that can enable efficient and flexible opportunity charging at high power levels. iii) Evaluation of degradation mechanisms for batteries under cold climate conditions and parameter estimation for design of battery management systems. The Norwegian research activities will be closely coordinated with the planned activities of the Chines partners. Successful results from the project will also form the basis for joint initiatives for obtaining external funding or support for large-scale demonstration of technology to be developed by the Chinese industry partners. The applications will enable significant personnel mobility by exchange stays of young researchers. A total of 4 joint workshops will be organised during the project (2 each in China and Norway) to support the coordination and integration of joint research activities among the Chinese and Norwegian partners. PhD students and postdoctoral fellows are expected to make use of well facilitated opportunities for scientifically relevant exchanges for 3-6 months.