Webasto introduces battery management for utility vehicles
Webasto is expanding its product range with Electrical Battery Thermal Management (eBTM). The compact and scalable system is designed to keep the traction batteries of electric trucks, vans, buses and construction machinery within the ideal temperature range at all times.
According to Webasto, the eBTM allows continuous monitoring of the operating temperature and ensures a balance between the heating and cooling circuits to keep the temperature of traction batteries in the ideal range at all times. The system solution is designed for 400- and 800-volt applications and provides up to 8 kW of cooling and up to 10 kW of heating power for battery systems with a total capacity of up to 210 kWh.
Depending on the vehicle type, application and the number of batteries installed, several units can be combined. According to Webasto, the eBTM dynamically adjusts the temperatures during different load phases. In addition, it can condition the batteries during the charging process and thus halve the charging time.
In the press release, Webasto quantifies some of the advantages of its own solution very precisely: the eBTM is said to allow charging with up to 41 per cent more power compared to batteries without thermal management. In a driving profile with a high starting and stopping frequency, the thermal management provides 8.9 per cent more range, which results, among other things, from the 24 percent higher recuperation performance at low temperatures. In hot climatic conditions, the eBTM also improves the ‘State of Health’ by 21 per cent.
The eBTM includes the control units as well as the components for the coolant and heating circuits and electric water pumps. The entire unit weighs 90 kilograms, measures 100 x 70 x 30 (L x W x H) centimetres and, according to the manufacturer, is easy to install as a plug-and-play system thanks to only a few connection interfaces.
“The cornerstones of e-mobility are high-performance traction batteries that store the energy necessary for e-drives and deliver it at the push of a button. In order for the batteries to develop their full performance and ensure the vehicles and equipment function properly, the batteries must be operated within their ideal temperature range, regardless of ambient temperatures and load,” says Jörg Hornung, Vice President Business Line Thermal Management at Webasto. “While batteries that are too cold lose power, excessive heat can cause chemical degradation of the battery cells, which can reduce their service life.”
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