As mobility transitions to electrification, the development of vehicle thermal management systems (VTMS) is becoming increasingly important. The temperature ranges for different components of an electrified propulsion system can vary widely depending on operating and environmental conditions. This makes the development of the thermal system much more complex than in the past and increases the importance of an optimized VTMS. At AVL, we understand the needs and challenges of OEMs, Tiers and Institutes in this regard and offer a wide portfolio of test equipment to help you optimize the thermal layout of your propulsion system components and the overall system.
For more than 25 years, we have intensively developed various conditioning systems and technologies, which are used in high-end engine test cells all over the world. This is the perfect foundation for understanding the increasing complexity of the cooling circuits of electrified propulsion systems in automotive applications. It is also the basis for understanding what our customers need from thermal management system development.
A VTMS has a significant impact on the energy efficiency of the entire vehicle and the durability of all components in the propulsion system, such as the battery and inverter. Highly efficient systems require extensive calibration and testing time at the vehicle level, which has a huge impact on development cost and time.
AVL ThermalLab™
Our test methodology is based on highly dynamic conditioning systems. This allows the entire thermal management system to be tested on the test bench under real, emulated driving and environmental conditions, independent of vehicle prototypes and weather. The UUT can be either the entire VTMS, including the powertrain coolant circuits, the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and thermal management control units. Alternatively, the UUT can be just one component of the overall thermal system, where the behavior of all other components is simulated using a hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) testing approach. This is then optimized in different driving cycles to ensure proper functionality of all subsystems and to pre-calibrate your actuators on the rig.
Conditioning Systems
Stringent regulatory requirements for internal combustion engines and the wide variety of powertrain concepts have increased the need for real-world testing. The thermal condition and the environment of the UUT have a strong influence on the real driving results. Therefore, the simulation must be as accurate as possible. To achieve this goal, high performance media conditioning systems are required. They must be adaptable to real vehicle conditions and guarantee high stability in both constant and dynamic operation. They must also be able to simulate extreme environmental conditions.
Batteries, fuel cells, electric motors, and electric axle solutions must operate safely and reliably in any environment. This can mean extreme temperatures and humidity that are impossible to replicate on the test track or in real-life test scenarios on the road. This is why we built the modular AVL Climatic Chamber. The Climatic Chamber safely and reliably simulates a wide range of extreme environmental conditions, providing a high degree of flexibility while minimizing system downtime. In addition, its unique application-based design with pre-defined interfaces ensures quick and easy integration into existing testbeds.
We provide products, solutions, and systems for thermal and environmental conditioning to enable our customers to develop their products with the highest level of efficiency.”
– Stefan Nemec, Global Business Segment Manager, AVL List GmbH
AVL E-Mobility Testing Solutions – Brochure
Tested and Trusted.
AVL ThermalLab™ – Solution Sheet
Testing battery-electric vehicles under realistic conditions.
AVL Conditioning Systems – Brochure
Simulate real and extreme conditions with best reproducibility.
AVL Climatic Chamber – Solution Sheet
Application-driven solution for best-in-class thermal development on latest safety standards.
AVL has a wide portfolio consisting of dedicated e-motor test systems, software, tools, and processes to test and validate these modern e-drive systems in shortest time and with highest quality standards.
For battery (module/pack) testing, we offer complete test systems, stand-alone equipment, or even entire turnkey test labs.
At AVL, we develop e-axle solutions that can be easily installed without impacting the productivity of your engineering facility.
The AVL Customer Services organization consists of more than 700 service- and application engineers worldwide, operating from more than 50 locations. Our global footprint is your local benefit.
AVL ThermalLab™ tests the entire VTMS, including all coolant circuits and the refrigerant cycle, under dynamic conditions using model-based testing. The UUT is the complete VTMS embedded in an emulated vehicle...
Thermal conditions and environment of Units Under Test have strong impacts on real results in driving. For this reason, the thermal simulation must be as exact as possible – which can be achieved via deployment...
Battery packs, modules and cells, fuel cells, e-motor and e-axle solutions must operate safely and reliably in any environment. This can include extreme temperatures and humidity, which cannot be reproduced on...
- No prototype vehicles required for the optimization of the entire VTMS
- Development is disengaged from weather conditions and regions
- Analysis of the VTMS components and architecture for range and cabin comfort on the testbed
- Possibility of testing various VTMS concepts with different propulsion systems
25 years of experience in the development of conditioning systems for automotive test systems form the basis for our in-depth understanding of cooling circuits in different electrified propulsion systems. It is also a good base for understanding our customers’ needs regarding thermal management system development.
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