AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY FEATURE
Going carbon neutral: Thermal management solutions for alternative powertrain vehicles
Over 100 countries around the world have pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050, and so the race is on to find ways to achieve this. Experts from Norgren’s Commercial Vehicle team have developed numerous cutting-edge solutions to help, including thermal management technology…
T
he UK Government has decided to phase out the sale of new cars and light
commercial vehicles (LCVs) run on traditional fuels by 2030, and hybrids by 2035. For Step 2, all cars and vans will need to be fully zero emission at the tail pipe by 2035. According to a report produced by KPMG*,
the UK’s environmental and health policies are arguably the biggest motivation for consumers going electric. These include higher vehicle excise duty on diesel and petrol cars, and the probable roll-out of the London Low Emission charging infrastructure in other major city centres throughout the UK.
MEETING TARGETS Electric vehicles are currently more expensive to buy when compared to their equivalent petrol or diesel engine models, and the total cost of ownership is also higher. However, this is not the same for LCVs due to fleet scale economies and higher usage, which could make going all electric a good decision. In Europe, it has been mandated that, from
2025, all Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) – the largest producers of harmful emissions – will be forced to reduce their emissions by 15% and by a further 30% by 2030. To the manufacturers and operators of
heavier commercial vehicles, these targets are setting a stiff challenge due to the large battery sizes required for long-distance haulage and also the time off the road required to charge and recharge the batteries. Whilst some alternative fuels such as natural gas are currently being used, for many the focus on
using hydrogen remains a realistic alternative. As an example, one major HGV manufacturer
has been working alongside a Japanese automotive company and a leading global fuel supplier exploring various hydrogen options. These include using hydrogen as a fuel to power the combustion engine and using a hydrogen fuel cell to power the electric motor. In both these cases, a 100% reduction in carbon emissions is possible. Whether it’s battery electric (BEV), plug in
hybrid (PHEV) or fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), thermal control for the subsystems of the powertrain is critical to maintain battery or fuel cell performance, loss of degradation and ensured operational safety. With all the major on-road and off-road vehicle
manufacturers and their tier suppliers firmly focused on the challenges ahead, technological advances are gathering pace with thermal management solutions playing an increasingly important part of these new developments.
THERMAL MANAGEMENT Experts from Norgren’s Commercial Vehicle team have been working in the automotive industry for more than 40 years – and have developed numerous cutting-edge solutions for vehicle manufacturers around the world UK Commercial Vehicle account
Hybrid buses are being used more often
manager, Martin Bevan, commented: “Our philosophy and focus has always been on building close working relationships with our customers, ever since our founder, Carl Norgren, started his air preparation business from his kitchen table nearly 100 years ago in 1927. Understanding our customers’ engineering needs has proved that our experts use their skills and know how to develop and deliver high quality products to meet the most demanding engineering challenges. As a world leader in fluid and motion control we constantly seek and identify new challenges and this led us to working in the automotive industry with a particular focus on commercial vehicles. Now, forty years later, our experience is vast. For
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example, we already have a range of standard off- the-shelf products that meet tomorrow’s carbon neutral needs and we also have the capability and resources to develop new products to meet even the most demanding engineering challenges”. Norgren’s Buschjost range of motorised
coolant valves bear testament to their experience and knowledge in both conventional and alternative powertrain technology. These thermal management solutions were originally developed to help extend the range and increase the battery life in electric vehicles. Designed to help keep the battery’s temperature between 22-26˚C – the optimum temperature to achieve maximum range – these valves are also proven to extend battery service life by up to 40% and reduce charging times. Compatible with temperature ranges
of -40˚C to +120˚C and all common coolant
fluid, these valves are both lube free and easy to maintain thanks to their separate motor eliminating the need to strip down or disconnect. With a CANbus option coming soon, these standard valves come with a two-year warranty or one million cycles.
Norgren IMI plc
www.norgren.com/uk/en
www.imiplc.com
* KPMG The Acceleration of Electric Vehicles Report – May 2018
DESIGN SOLUTIONS | MAY 2021 27
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