Sponsored by CSM

For tests drives of electric vehicles, high-frequency currents and voltages must be measured in the high-voltage vehicle electrical system. The installation options for the necessary measurement equipment can be very limited due to confined installation spaces. This example shows how currents and voltages can nevertheless be measured with high sampling rates, HV-safe and protected from environmental influences.

Background 

Components in the electric powertrain as well as the complete HV electrical system of electrified vehicles are extensively tested in both simulations and on test benches. Nevertheless, current, voltage and power must also be measured in road tests to validate the development results under real conditions. This is the only way to obtain accurate results for the many necessary optimization steps.

For the measurement of current, voltage and power in the HV electrical system on test benches and in the vehicle, CSM’s HV Breakout Modules (https://s.csm.de/charged-bm) are a proven solution: They represent the most compact and least interference-sensitive measurement technology solution for such measurement tasks. The HV Breakout Modules have a robust housing for mobile use in vehicles and measure up to 2,000 A and 2,000 V with a high sampling rate of up to 2 MS/s. To meet EN61010:1 safety requirements, the HV power cables are connected directly inside the HV-safe housing 

Due to the direct measurement from the inner conductors (also possible for current on the braided shields), extremely precise measurement results are achieved. 

Challenge

The available installation space in the vehicle may be too small for traditional instrumentation due to tightly installed components and narrow cable ducts for installation. In such cases, another solution must be found for measuring current, voltage and power in road testing.

First and foremost, the measurement technology used must be able to be installed at the desired measurement points. Sometimes narrow cable ducts or surrounding components limit the available installation space. For this reason, the measurement technology used must then be designed to be even more compact, and be able to be used anywhere on the vehicle.

Nevertheless, very precise measurement results must be achieved, which is why the measurements need to be taken directly in the inner conductor otherwise the results will be falsified by induced shield currents and interference. In order to prevent missed (aliased) data, measurements need to be made at a sampling rate of at least 1 MHz. 

The measurement technology must have robust housings in order to ensure high-voltage safety for users and systems, on the one hand and to be protected from harsh environmental conditions on the other.

The CSM Measurement Solution

As an evolution of the previously mentioned HV BM product line, the new HV BM Split Modules (https://s.csm.de/charged-split) are used for measuring current, voltage and power in very confined installation spaces. High-voltage Breakout Modules of the Split family (HV BM Split Modules) use the same measuring principle as the CSM HV Breakout Modules for measurements in the vehicle electrical system. However, the three main functions are performed in their own small HV-safe enclosures, thus being “split” from each other. These 3 functions and split modules are

• HV SBM_I (HV Split Breakout Module for current): Current measurement with temperature compensated shunt module
• HV SBM_U (HV Split Breakout Module for voltage): direct measurement of Voltage
• HV SAM (HV Split Acquisition Module): Acquires the measurement data of the 2 SBM’s and puts that data onto the measurement network for further DAQ by a computer or logger.

By separating the three main HV BM functions, the space required for installation in HV power cables or in busbars is greatly reduced.  The HV SBMs are inserted directly into the HV cables via cable glands and ring terminals or PL300/PL500 connectors. The cable shield is routed separately, as with the HV Breakout Modules.

The current and voltage Split Breakout Modules are connected to the Split Acquisition Module via shielded high-voltage sensor cables with specialized connectors making the system safe. This allows the slim HV SBMs to be used individually in confined spaces and located up to 2m away from the HV SAM

The HV SAM performs sampling, AD conversion, filtering, online calculations, data acquisition, protocol conversion, and galvanic isolation. As with the standard HV Breakout Modules, data output is via EtherCAT® or CAN with up to 1 MHz data rate. 

The measurement data output via EtherCAT® is converted to XCP-on-Ethernet via an XCP-Gateway and forwarded to the measuring computer. Further measurement modules for the acquisition of additional measured variables (such as temperature, pressures, vibration, noise, strain) can be easily integrated via the XCP-Gateway.

Benefits

The HV BM Split Modules enable precise current, voltage, and power measurements in very confined spaces. They use the proven technology of the HV Breakout Modules for accurate measurement results: Current measurement with shunt modules directly in the HV cables minimizes the influence of external fields, such as those that occur in magnetic field or Hall effect-based solutions. Pseudo-signals, hysteresis effects, system-related noise, characteristic shift or offset errors are practically non-existent with CSM shunt technology.

The sensor modules of the HV BM Split Modules are hardly larger than the HV lines themselves and can be installed in suitable locations. Measurements on closely installed high-voltage auxiliary consumers such as compressors, pumps, converters or braking resistors are thus made possible.

The HV BM Split modules are part of the Vector CSM E-Mobility Measurement System. They expand the decentralized, scalable measurement system for high-voltage current and voltage measurement in confined vehicle installation spaces for E-Mobility online analysis with CANape and vMeasure exp.

Download the full application example here: https://s.csm.de/charged-uc

NOVONIX has announced that a life-cycle assessment of its GX-23 synthetic anode graphite product has been reviewed and confirmed by independent experts as compliant with ISO-14040:2006 and ISO-14044:2006 standards.

Minviro, a sustainable mining specialist, performed the life-cycle assessment. According to NOVONIX, the “GX-23 synthetic anode graphite Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) clearly demonstrated an approximate 60% decrease in global warming potential (GWP) relative to the conventional anode-grade synthetic graphite produced from Inner Mongolia, China and an approximate 30% decrease in GWP when compared to the anode-grade natural graphite in Heilongjiang Province, China.”

NOVONIX says the life-cycle assessment “also reported an approximate 67% reduction in GWP in NMC-811 batteries using NOVONIX synthetic graphite, which is roughly 2.5 times better than the conventional synthetic graphite produced from Inner Mongolia.”

“There was an approximate 40% reduction in GWP in LFP batteries using NOVONIX synthetic graphite versus natural graphite from Heilongjiang Province,” according to NOVONIX.

“This LCA also helps to illuminate our continued path forward to further reduce the environmental footprint of ourselves and our customers, through the creation of the first US domestic supply chain of battery grade synthetic graphite,” says CEO and co-founder of NOVONIX Dr. Chris Burns.

Marelli has developed a new 800 V silicon carbide inverter platform. “The new inverter platform based on our 800-volt silicon carbide power module technology allows it to serve applications where energy use is optimized, the performance is maximized and efficiency is dramatically improved,” says Dr. Razvan Panati, Head of Power Electronics Technology for Marelli’s Vehicle Electrification Division. “With a complete range of modular solutions, we are able to offer to our customers more flexibility in terms of packaging, cooling system design and energy storage.”

The company says the new inverter platform “can extract more energy from the battery at a higher efficiency and secure a significant increase in the driving range of a vehicle.”

The platform includes Marelli-designed and AUTOSAR-compliant software which is hosted by an Electric Control Unit within the inverter case.

People talk about edge cases when it comes to training tech like this, and this certainly appears to be an edge case.
Source: Electric Vehicle News

Vietnamese automaker VinFast, which was founded in 2017, has global ambitions. The company recently raised $4 billion to support market launches in Germany, France, the Netherlands and the US. It has opened 6 stores in California, and is building a $2-billion manufacturing plant in North Carolina.

The VinFast VF 8, an electric SUV, is scheduled to arrive in the US, Germany, France and the Netherlands starting in Q3 2022. It will be priced at $40,000-55,000, depending on battery size.

The company, a subsidiary of Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest private company, is not an EV-only automaker, but it announced in January that it planned to end production of its ICE models.

Michael Dunne, an expert on the Asian auto industry, recently paid a visit to the company’s “highly-advanced manufacturing plant” in the northern port city of Haiphong. The factory has a capacity of 250,000 vehicles a year. On Dunne’s visit, the body shop teemed with 1,250 shiny new robots from ABB.

“In VinFast, we have the consummate underdog,” writes Dunne. “A young company that few people outside of Vietnam have ever heard of, from a country with a thin automotive history where average incomes barely tip $400 per month.”

Dunne took three of VinFast’s models for test drives, including the Pininfarina-designed VF 8, and “came away impressed with the looks, build quality, and the smooth ride.”

“But the single most impressive takeaway from my time with VinFast was the tenacity,” says Dunne. “VinFast people are determined. They are fearless. And they are not naive. They understand that as one of dozens of EV startups around the world, the going will get tough.”

Such language is reminiscent of the sort of things we used to write about a determined young automaker from an earlier era, back when Tesla was cool. But VinFast’s corporate culture reminds Dunne of another Asian automotive underdog: Hyundai, which grew from a small maker of cheap compact cars into a highly-respected global giant, and a current leader in the EV space.

VinFast leaders acknowledge that breaking into the global auto market will be “an uphill battle all the way,” but one thing they appear to have in plenty is determination. “We like to make the impossible possible,” VinFast CEO Madame Thuy told Dunne.

Tesla has disclosed in a new filing today that it was recently subpoenaed by the SEC over Elon Musk’s tweets again. It’s the second time over the last year.

more…

The post Tesla (TSLA) discloses it was recently subpoenaed by the SEC over Musk’s tweets again appeared first on Electrek.

Source: Charge Forward

To further spread the good word of EV adoption, General Motors (GM) has introduced EV Live – an immersive one-on-one experience where the public can call into a live studio of EV specialists and have all their questions answered virtually… oh, and it’s free. Score.

more…

The post GM launches EV Live: A free, one-on-one virtual education service with EV specialists appeared first on Electrek.

Source: Charge Forward

A few test cars in new Mercury Silver Metallic and Deep Crimson Multicoat were seen at the site.
Source: Electric Vehicle News

Ford has executed an offtake agreement with Australia-based battery materials company Liontown Resources for the supply of the lithium-providing spodumene concentrate for a term of 5 years.

“Ford continues working to source more deeply into the battery supply chain to meet our goals of delivering more than 2 million EVs annually for our customers by 2026,” says VP of EV Industrialization Lisa Drake. “This is one of several agreements we’re working on to help us secure raw materials to support our plan to deliver EVs for customers around the world.”

Liontown will source spodumene concentrate from its Kathleen Valley Lithium Project in western Australia. According to Liontown Resources, Kathleen Valley’s Mineral Resource Estimate is 156 Mt, 1.4% Li₂0 and 130 ppm of Ta₂0₅. Liontown plans to use a power supply comprised of 60% renewable energy to begin supplying Ford in 2024, to provide 75,000 DMT (dry metric tons) of spodumene concentrate the first year, 125,000 DMT in the second year, and 150,000 DMT during the third, fourth and fifth years.

The offtake agreement, when added to previous offtake agreements with Tesla and LG Energy Solution, enables Liontown to generate up to 450,000 DMT of spodumene concentrate per year—which is about 90% of its start-up production capacity. Liontown says the remaining 10% will go to spot volume sales and discrete offtake agreements.