Testing and measurement for electric vehicles
Among the many technologies that have had a significant impact on our society in recent years, very few compare to the impact of electric vehicles. As the world deals with climate change, investment in electric vehicle technology has surged across almost all of the world's largest vehicle manufacturers.
Investments in this vehicle market segment are global. According to a McKinsey report, the global electric vehicle (EV) market was valued at $2019 billion in 162,34 and is expected to reach $2027 billion by 802,81.
As with any technology, as market potential increases, so does the need for engineering, manufacturing and testing technologies and suppliers. Here at Interface we have been preparing for the EV market for many years. In 2018, Interface released the AxialTQ wireless torque converter, designed primarily for the automotive industry and specifically designed to test some of the more unique electric vehicle engine testing requirements.
FierceElectronics explained this need in an article about EV testing, saying, “Wireless torque converters are the critical link in a test bed used to develop next-generation technologies for electric and hybrid vehicle propulsion.” Interface has addressed this need with AxialTQ.
At the heart of AxialTQ's innovation is its rotor and high-precision sensor element technology, which, combined with next-generation electronics, delivers industry-leading accuracy. AxialTQ's unique features allow the system to be fully customizable and flexible, including the ability to use simultaneous analog and digital outputs to provide real-time control and data collection. Additionally, the flexible stator and output module mounting capability provides an infinite number of configurations to meet any application needs such as those encountered in electric vehicle torque testing.
The automotive industry, its subsidiaries and partners are known for rigorous and comprehensive testing protocols required for safety, performance and quality. Areas requiring high-performance force and torque sensor technologies for testing and measurement include:
- ICE Lab Testing
- ICE test at the end of the line
- EV Lab Testing
- Testing the EV motor end
- Powertrain laboratory tests
- Additional laboratory tests
One area where testing will continue to expand is EV batteries. As EV battery capacity increases and charging technology develops, various parameters such as temperature, current and pressure changes need to be monitored to ensure that any increase or decrease outside of their functional range is detected and addressed while the vehicle is driving. These conditions lead to the use of electric vehicle sensors that monitor such temperature, current and pressure surges in electric vehicles.
As outlined in our new Urban Mobility case study, one of the most important technologies is the battery that powers every piece of hardware and software in the car. One of the critical tests performed on EV batteries is the compression test. As an EV battery charges and stores more electrons, it swells. If the packaging of the batteries is not intelligently designed to accommodate this swelling, you may have a major problem. For this challenge, Interface can supply a WMC miniature load cell. The load cell measures the compression force as a battery cycles through charge cycles on a test bench to determine the force delivered as the battery swells. This allows our customers to design the right packaging for the batteries.
Test, measurement and sensor technology are crucial for optimizing parts and components in innovative and trending markets such as the electric vehicle market. Interface is proud to be a key supplier to these customers and we look forward to contributing to the continued growth of this important technology.