AVL ThermalLab™

Keep Cool, Drive Further.

Testing battery electric vehicles (BEVs) under realistic conditions.

AVL ThermalLab with a virtual vehicle

As mobility moves toward electrification, advanced vehicle thermal management systems (VTMS) are essential to optimize passenger comfort and extend driving range.  In addition, ensuring the durability of key components such as batteries, electric motors, and fuel cells is vital for the long-term viability of the industry. Managing temperature variations in these systems is crucial to maintain performance and safety.

Electrified powertrains face complex thermal challenges due to fluctuating temperatures in the different components. An optimized VTMS effectively regulates these thermal fluctuations, enhancing vehicle efficiency and reliability. By addressing the specific thermal needs of each component, manufacturers can improve overall performance and ensure long-term operational stability.

An effective VTMS is crucial for optimizing the energy efficiency of the entire vehicle and extending the lifespan of its powertrain components. However, developing highly efficient VTMS solutions involves extensive calibration and testing, which can lead to increased development costs and extended timelines.

To address these challenges, we introduce the AVL ThermalLab™ – an advanced solution designed to enhance the development process of the VTMS. Our ThermalLab offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing you to test either the complete VTMS or individual components of the thermal system. It is engineered to streamline the calibration and testing process, enabling faster development cycles and reducing associated costs.

ThermalLab setup in the climatic chamber with conditioning systems
Enhanced Efficiency

Streamline the development and testing of VTMS components to achieve optimal energy efficiency throughout the vehicle.

Cost Reduction

Reduce development costs by minimizing the need for extensive and expensive testing procedures.

Thorough Analysis

Analysis of the VTMS components and architecture for range and cabin comfort on the testbed.

Flexible Testing

Choose between testing the entire VTMS or focusing on specific components, providing tailored solutions for various development needs.

The AVL ThermalLab™ enables precise testing of complete thermal systems and individual components under realistic, emulated environments – independent from vehicle prototypes and weather conditions. With highly dynamic conditioning systems, it accurately simulates driving and environmental conditions, reducing development time and costs. The ThermalLab ensures that your VTMS is optimized for peak performance and efficiency.

System and Subsystem Testing

Using model-based testing, the ThermalLab optimizes the entire VTMS under dynamic conditions. The Unit Under Test (UUT) is the complete VTMS, includes powertrain coolant circuits, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and thermal management control units. Integrated into an emulated vehicle and a fully simulated environment, comprehensive testing can be performed in the lab more efficiently and cost-effectively than traditional road or wind tunnel testing.

Component Testing

Even without a complete VTMS, individual thermal components can be optimized using our ThermalLab model-based approach. The UUT is embedded in an emulated vehicle, while a hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) simulation replicates the rest of the thermal system and its environment. This allows components to be tested in different driving cycles, ensuring proper subsystem functionality and enabling pre-calibration of actuators on the testbed.

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Modular Test System Design

Modular test system design enables solutions that accurately reflect customer use cases.

No Prototype Vehicles

No prototype vehicles required for the optimization of the entire VTMS.

Independent Development 

Development is disengaged from weather conditions and regions.

Flexible Testing

Possibility of testing various VTMS concepts with different propulsion systems.

Climatic Chamber Battery Pack Testing
Climatic Chambers

Batteries, fuel cells and electric drives must operate safely and reliably in any environment. This means that they can be exposed to extremes of temperature and humidity that are difficult to replicate on a test track or in real-world road tests.Therefore, we have developed our climatic chambers. Our solutions safely and reliably simulate a wide range of harsh environmental conditions, providing high flexibility while minimizing system downtime. Their distinctive application-based design with pre-defined interfaces ensures seamless integration into existing testbeds.

→ More on Climatic Chambers

Overview of the AVL conditioning systems
Conditioning Systems

Gaseous and liquid media have a significant impact on the behavior of the UUT. Conditioning systems bring these media into a selectable and predefined range. Stable environmental conditions are essential to perform tests with high precision and reproducibility. These environments are conveniently and reliably provided by conditioned media. Our conditioning systems are characterized by their modular design, excellent functional expandability and compactness, making them mobile and versatile on the testbed.

→ More on Conditioning Systems

Peter Priesching

With the AVL ThermalLab, we bring real-world conditions into the test lab – precisely, efficiently, and under controlled environments. This accelerates the development and validation of battery systems and fuel cells to a whole new level."

– Peter Priesching, Global Product Manager, ThermalLabs

AVL E-Mobility Testing Solutions – Brochure

Tested and Trusted.

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AVL Thermal Testing Solutions – Brochure

Keep Cool, Drive Further.

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AVL ThermalLab™ – Solution Sheet

Testing battery electric vehicles under realistic conditions.

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AVL ThermalLab with a virtual vehicle
Thermal Testing Solutions

A vehicle thermal management system has a significant effect on the energy efficiency of the entire vehicle and the durability of all components in the propulsion system, such as the battery and inverter. Highly efficient systems require extensive calibration and testing time at vehicle level, which has a huge impact on development costs and timing.

Climatic Chamber Battery Pack Testing
Climatic Chamber Portfolio

Battery packs, modules and cells, fuel cells, e-motor and e-axle solutions must operate safely and reliably in any environment. This can include extreme temperatures and humidity, which cannot be reproduced on the test track or in real test scenarios on the road. This is why we developed the modular AVL Climate Chamber.

Overview of the AVL conditioning systems
Conditioning Systems

Thermal conditions and environment of Units Under Test have strong impacts on real results in driving. For this reason, the thermal simulation must be as exact as possible – which can be achieved via deployment of high performing media conditioning systems.

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