charging technology
battery charging technology and developments.
HELLA Developing Wireless Charging Systems
HELLA is working with Paul Vahle GmbH to develop wireless charging systems for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.
Commonly used to recharge small consumer products such as smartphones and electric toothbrushes, inductive or wireless charging for cars will make it easier for drivers to charge car batteries and extend a vehicle's driving range. Rather than using plug-in charging stations, car owners in the future will simply need to park over an inductive charging unit to trigger the process, according to Dr. Marc Rosenmayr, CEO for HELLA Electronics in North and South America. He adds that if inductive charging coils were embedded in streets, electric vehicles also could be recharged when stopped at traffic lights or even while being driven. For electric car buyers, a contact-free method of transferring energy to the vehicle certainly will be more convenient and less time consuming. Cables no longer will be necessary. Inclement weather and the risk of vandalism also can be avoided if outside charging stations are involved. "Wireless, inductive charging is a far more convenient way to recharge a vehicle's battery system," Rosenmayr points out. "The driver only needs to stop or drive over a charging unit or network to activate the process. As wireless charging has become more available and easy to use, it also might allow automakers to reduce battery size and weight on electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Rosenmayr notes that a number of technological and infrastructure challenges still must be overcome before wireless charging for cars and light trucks can be successfully introduced. |
Energy transfer over high-frequency fields that are at the heart of inductive systems, for example, cause heat to build up in metal objects which could lead to safety issues. The impact that wireless charging might have on other vehicle electronic systems such as navigation, infotainment, driver-assistance and keyless entry systems also will need to be studied.
The cooperation between Vahle and HELLA combines the expertise and experience of both companies in the field inductive charging. Based in Kamen, Germany, Vahle has 15 years of experience in contact-free energy transfer in industrial environments, while HELLA is a recognized leader in the development of electronics, software, processes and production in the auto industry. Source: Electric Vehicle News April 26, 2014
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Inductive Charging
The first of its kind, Qualcomm's WEVC trial provides an unrivaled opportunity to put wireless charging for EVs through its paces in a real-world environment. The data gained from the trial will not only help Qualcomm in its development of WEVC technologies, but also give Qualcomm's partners the chance to perfect the WEVC experience within each of their disciplines, albeit infrastructure or the vehicle itself.
Rob had the opportunity to talk about the trial and it's progress directly with an executive from Qualcomm. Video is from August 2012. but still relevant.
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My Electric Avenue project.
It's a scheme to test what happens when groups or 'clusters' of neighbours on the same feeder from the local electricity substation all have electric cars.
The technology being introduced will help power suppliers and the grid manage the increased use in electric vehicles. Apr 2014 More information on the project can be found on the 'My Electric Avenue' website. See also: Scene in Scotland / The Car Scene / My Electric Avenue - Kinross
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BMW Press Release
Headline News: BMW to announce plans on DC charging for EVs BMW will make an announcement within the next three weeks on moves toward much faster DC charging for electric vehicles.
This has the potential to reduce charging time down from several hours using the current AC to just minutes, said Weiland Bruch, corporate communications chief for BMW i vehicles. "We will be making an announcement soon, so watch this space." DC charging has the potential to be a major breakthrough for electric vehicles because, along with so-called range anxiety, people are concerned by the length of time it takes to charge them and the difficulties posed by home-charging for those who live in high rise buildings. BMW is already producing 70 i3 models a day at its plant in Leipzig just a few months after its European launch and customer orders are now |
banked up almost six months ahead. This is before the car is launched next month in the US and China in the summer.
Bruch added: "Clearly we do not want people waiting five or six months for their cars and as we launch into more markets we need to think about increasing production." That's not as simple as it sounds as the i8 petrol-electric sports car begins series production in Leipzig in April. Technology used on the i vehicles will spread to other BMW models, particularly the use of lightweight carbon fibre panels. These are already starting to be seen on the new M3 for instance and Bruch added that the e-drive powertrain from the i8, which features a 1.5-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder engine - built at Hams Hall in the UK - will be used on the X5 plug-in hybrid. 20 March 2014 |
Electric vehicles have been available in the market place for over 110 years but it is only now that they are starting to make their way back into the mainstream. In the early days electric vehicles had an advantage; they were generally more reliable than their petrol engined rival and were easier to drive. Improvements in ignition systems and the electric starters made the IC, engined car easier to start; couple that with an ever improving reliability and rapidly increasing range and the electric car was condemned to languish in the doldrums for many decades save for specialist applications where it could operate close to a fixed base to enable recharging.
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Regenerative braking
Regenerative braking is the recovery of kinetic energy during braking.
In a conventional vehicle, a majority of the kinetic energy is converted during friction braking into heat and emitted unused into the environment. Hybrid and electric vehicles can use the electric motor to recuperate at least a portion of the kinetic energy for reuse. Regenerative braking enables an extended range in electric vehicles as well as lowering fuel consumption and improving CO2 balance in hybrid vehicles. Furthermore, the use of the generator for braking reduces brake wear. Mar 2012 |
DENSO to test wireless charging system.
Global automotive supplier DENSO Corporation is to conduct a ten-month field test of its wireless battery charging system in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The field test is intended to identify any potential operational issues and also look at ways to enhance the convenience of wireless charging. The field test will run from 24th Feb 2014, to December 2014.
For the test, DENSO has equipped a Yamato Transport delivery truck with a power receiver that will wirelessly receive the energy from a power transmission pad located in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven convenience store. The truck’s battery is then used to power the refrigeration system while the engine is stopped during pickups and deliveries. Not only will the system improve convenience, but it will also help reduce emissions. DENSO has been developing the wireless charging system with the goal to commercialize by 2020. DENSO is working to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the system while also looking to enhance convenience. |
Japan's Toyota City is designated an experimental city for next-generation energy sources and social systems, a program which has been promoted by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry since April 2010.
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