F O C U S 1 5
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL
& THERMAL DESIGN
THERMAL, MECHANICAL AND EMC
SIMULATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
VIRTUAL AND PROTOTYPE-BASED
VALIDATION AND VERIFICATION
DESIGN FOR PRODUCTION
pabilities, allowing the development
of batteries not as single component
but as an integral part of the vehicle.
“These new requirements necessitate
the integration of all disciplines, including
body construction, into the
development process. The battery
can perform such functions as the
mechanical absorption of forces in
longitudinal and transversal direction
in the event of a vehicle crash.
To this end, we rely particularly on
new design or material choice concepts,
enabling weight reduction and
a lower center of gravity, while ensuring
special robustness and safety
of the entire vehicle,” explains Paul
Schiffbänker, Product Manager Electrification
(Batteries) at AVL.
ATTRACTIVE TOTAL BATTERY
PACKAGE DUE TO COMPREHENSIVE
EXPERTISE
AVL specializes in areas that cover
the entire development process:
The AVL battery development process
starts with a 25-point feasibility
study. A well-founded concept is
developed, which addresses all risks
right up to SOP, including cell selection
and configuration, functional
safety, electric and thermal interfaces,
safety and even the recycling strategy.
The subsequent virtual A-sample
phase would not be possible without
AVL’s many years of experience
in all fields of mechanical and thermal
simulation (frontloading). Main
focus of the B-sample phase is the
development of full battery system
functionality, its adjustment to suit
the powertrain and its integration into
the vehicle environment. In this
context, all hardware prototypes can
be manufactured in AVL’s own production
facility with state-of-the-art
equipment. AVL’s internal test facilities,
particularly its Electric Mobility
Center (EMZ), enable functional and
integral verification and validation.
During the C-sample phase, AVL
takes care of the transition from functional
design to production and provides
support in the line’s establishment
and start-up around the world.
Apart from the development of new
technologies, there is also the AVL
Battery Benchmarking program. In
the context of this service package,
experts analyze BEVs and PHEVs at
vehicle level and, in particular, their
batteries as an integrated system with
all interfaces based on more than 300
criteria, and compare them with other
vehicles and systems.
One of the most important battery
system requirements – high levels of
power available throughout the vehicle’s
life during driving, charging and
discharging – depends on a battery’s
thermal properties. Wenzel Prochazka:
“If you want to charge a battery
quickly, it will release its energy in
the form of heat – so it requires optimal
cooling. AVL has developed a new
and innovative cooling system for the
80 mm battery which, despite its minimal
total height, delivers a compelling
constant cooling performance,
facilitating fast battery charging.”
Equipped with all the necessary expertise
and transparent processes, AVL
enables the development of battery
systems for future-proof BEVs that
deliver more comfort and more performance
with a competitive range. <
>
AVL‘s areas of expertise in battery development cover the entire development process.