New components and systems for thermal management of electrical vehicles

The Next-TMS project performs research as a basis for developing innovative components and systems for the thermal management (TM) of electric vehicles (EVs), both battery EVs and hydrogen fuel cell EVs. Project owner Kongsberg Automotive has established a new business area for automotive TM systems, and is developing a new product portfolio for this market. The project is aimed at commercial vehicles (trucks and buses). The role of the thermal management system is to ensure that the battery, power electronics, motors, transmissions etc have the right temperature during charging and driving. Li-ion batteries is the state-of-the-art energy storage for EVs. For such batteries, temperature control is a key factor for the performance (charging rate, driving range), lifetime and security. Temperature control of fuel cells, and the associated material requirements, are even more challenging than for Li-ion batteries. The R&D framework established in this project will contribute to products with optimised flow (lower pressure drop), better thermal and mechanical performance, and long and predictable lifetime in contact with coolants at relevant service temperatures. Another objective is to develop simpler and more serviceable systems with fewer parts by smart integration and system control. Last, but not least, sustainability is an important aspect of the project. The project will assess the sustainability of material alternatives including recycled materials, and pave the way for components and systems with low weight and low energy usage. Per 1st October 2024, the project activities can be summarised as follows: Regarding new devices and methods for flow control, Kongsberg Automotive has finished concept designs for a dynamic flow constrictor, and an “A sample” concept of a new valve was presented at the most important international trade fair for this industry segment; IAA Transportation 2024 in Hannover, Germany. Testing polymer composite materials for use in thermal management of fuel cells has been a large activity in the first part of the project. There are very strict requirements regarding the (low) electrical conductivity of coolants for fuel cells. Hence, the emission of ions from the materials (in pipes, couplings, valves etc) into the coolant must be very low. The project has developed special procedures for exposing material specimens to liquids, and measuring the liquid’s (low) electrical conductivity vs. exposure time. Fourteen materials (from four material groups) have been exposed to de-ionized water and a special fuel cell coolant at 90 °C. The studies have included effects of injection moulding conditions for the material specimens, as well as effects of mechanical recycling. Compared to data in the open literature, this dataset is unique and there are some unexpected results. Kongsberg Automotive will use the dataset to select materials for new components, and as a basis for discussions with customers. The project also aims at publishing some of the results in a scientific journal. Further work in this activity will include detailed chemical analyses of the liquids after exposure. Another main activity has been dynamic testing and fatigue testing of polymer composite materials. A range of test conditions have been covered, and the dataset has been analysed by empirical models. This activity will continue with testing at high temperatures (90-100 °C). Regarding sustainability, the main polymer composite materials that are relevant in this project, have been evaluated in terms of the carbon footprint of commercially available materials (“cradle to gate”), including recycled materials and biobased materials. The next step is to analyse the carbon footprint of new components for thermal management systems. Kongsberg Automotive is building in-house expertise for life cycle assessments (LCA).

The project will develop innovative components and systems for the thermal management (TM) of of electric vehicles (EVs), and establish an R&D based framework for such developments. The project is mainly aimed at commercial vehicles (trucks, buses etc), and battery EVs, but it is also relevant for fuel cell EVs. Li-ion batteries is the state-of-the-art energy storage for EVs. For such batteries, temperature control is a key factor for the performance (charging rate, driving range) and lifetime. The TM system also has an important role in hindering fire due to thermal runaway in battery cells. Project owner Kongsberg Automotive has established a new business area for this market, and is developing a new product portfolio which will include components such as couplings, pipes, valves and restrictors, as well as control units, sensorics, power electronics and integrated thermal management systems. The project will demonstrate new dynamic flow restrictor concepts with lower cost and weight compared to conventional valves. The project will also develop new R&D methodologies, and new material and manufacturing solutions with improved sustainability. There is a need for research on materials science, solid state mechanics, circular economy, simulation of flow and heat transfer, instrumentation and sensorics. The R&D framework established in this project will be used to develop products with following characteristics: - Better flow, thermal and mechanical performance (including fire safety) via optimal material combinations and part designs optimised by numerical simulations - Simpler and more serviceable systems with fewer parts by smart integration and system control - Improved sustainability by material selection and the use of recycled materials - Reduced cost, weight and volume via material selection, product design and manufacturing methods. Reduced energy consumption, e.g. via flow-optimised couplings and valves, and optimised thermal insulation.