Mahle receives order for MCS cooling module
As Mahle puts it in the press release, the customer is an unnamed European cable manufacturer and supplier of megawatt charging systems (MCS). In the industry, it is rare for the supplier to name the customer – if at all, the OEM usually announces where they have ordered a component.
However, Mahle states why the customer decided in favour of the cooling module: According to the supplier, it “particularly rated the performance and cost efficiency of the cooling module as crucial factors in placing the order.” Even though the focus here is on future MCS charging stations, Mahle emphasises that the modular cooling module can also be used in fast charging systems for cars and light commercial vehicles, maritime applications, and rail vehicles.
The Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is designed as a fast-charging standard for heavy commercial vehicles with electric drives, i.e. primarily long-haul electric trucks and buses. The standard enables charging capacities of up to 3.75 megawatts. However, the first marketable columns will probably be in the region of one megawatt (in view of the vehicles with MCS that have been announced).
According to Mahle, an MCS charging process can generate heat losses of up to 8 kilowatts (kW), depending on the outside temperature.“In our cooling module, we connect up to four heat exchangers in series to cool down the waste heat of the cable using air that is drawn in. Fans transport the air to the outside,” explained Norman Nagel, Head of Business Development Mahle Industrial Thermal Systems. Christian Küchlin, Vice President of the same Mahle division, adds: “With this innovative cooling module, MAHLE is expanding its product portfolio for intelligent charging solutions and setting new standards in the charging infrastructure for electric trucks and electric heavy-duty vehicles.”
Mahle states that the cooling module consists of heat exchangers, pumps and fans and has a modular design. That means the component can be “adapted to the installation space of different charging stations specified by the customers.” The cooling module is approved for ambient temperatures from -35 to +50 degrees Celsius without any performance loss. Series production of the new cooling module will start at the end of 2025 at the Mahle plant in Namestovo, Slovakia.
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