Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Thermal Management

Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Thermal Management


Battery Thermal Management and Inverter Cooling – IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor)

Temperature management is crucial to the success of Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Thermal Management. Heat is created when either charging or discharging batteries which can lead to reduced life or catastrophic failure at high temperatures. Heat is generated from the internal resistance of the battery which is called Joule or Ohmic heating. Consistent cooling across battery cooling plates is one method to manage these temperatures.

Inverters, specifically the IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) transfer power between the motors and batteries. Cooling of IGBT’s also has become critical in maintaining reliability and efficiency.  As an OEM supplier to many well-known vehicle manufactures, we have been working on these new thermal management challenges with our customers. This EV industry head start was gained by applying our extensive thermal management experience from gas and diesel power train systems. Our customers also have the advantage of working with an established industry partner that offers complete engineering, in house testing and large global production capabilities.

Battery Cooling Plates

Heat is created when either charging or discharging batteries which can lead to reduced life or catastrophic failure at high temperatures. Heat is generated from the internal resistance of the battery which is called Joule or Ohmic heating. The current standard is to use liquid cooling. These water-glycol coolants can either be passed in-between cells, battery packages or the usage of cooling plates to manage the heat being generated. Typical cooling plate designs have a large temperature gradient across the heat exchanger surface offering inconsistent battery cooling. Consistent cooling across battery cooling plates is critical to manage these temperatures. Senior Flexonics has developed a unique two pass battery cooling plate design that provides a maximum of 3°C degree delta across the entire contact surface. Cooling plates are constructed from a variety of materials including stainless steel and aluminum. We are developing cooling plates and fluid conveyance solutions in partnership with well-known truck and passenger car manufacturers.

Heat Sinks

Inverters transfer power between the motors and batteries and are one of the critical components in an electric vehicle. The inverter converts DC to AC when power is required to drive the electric motors and converts in the opposite direction during regenerative braking. The main component inside the inverter is the IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor), and it generates heat. An effective method of cooling the IGBT is through a liquid cooled heat sink.
Our heat sink features our proprietary “Omega” fin design. It is available in both aluminum and copper depending upon the customer’s requirements. Cooling of IGBT’s also has become critical in maintaining reliability and efficiency. These new EV chill plates enhance thermal performance without plugging because the unique shape creates more surface area than a typical straight fin, while still allowing the same sized particles to pass without plugging.
Senior Flexonics is a leader in EV thermal management and fluid conveyance from our experience with ICE power train systems. We are an established industry partner that offers complete engineering, in house testing and large global production capabilities.

Fluid Conveyance

Battery cooling plates and electronics cooling require hose, tubing and pipes to transfer gas and liquids. Senior Flexonics has decades of experience supplying reliable fluid conveyance solutions and are currently working with many of the worlds leading brands supplying battery coolant pipes, electric motor coolant pipes and gearbox air pipes to name a few. All configurations can be supplied with all required fittings and connectors to meet your quality standards.

 

Battery Thermal Management

The current generation of electric vehicle batteries needs to be managed effectively.  The current standard is to use liquid cooling. These water-glycol coolants can either be passed in between cells, battery packages or even through a cooling plate to manage the heat being generated. Typical cooling plate designs have a large temperature gradient across the heat exchanger surface offering inconsistent battery cooling. In contrast, our unique two pass battery cooling plate design provides a maximum of 3°C degree delta across the entire contact surface.

Power Inverters and IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors)

Electric vehicles demand high efficiency and performance. The power inverter is one of the critical components in an electric vehicle. The inverter converts DC to AC when power is required to drive the electric motors, and converts in the opposite direction during regenerative braking. The main component inside the inverter is the IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor), and it generates heat. An effective method of cooling the IGBT is through a liquid cooled heat sink.

Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Thermal Management

The IGBT heatsink is made up of a base plate, cover plate, and fin. Coolant enters through a spigot in the cover plate and then flows across the fin and exits through the spigot on the opposite side. The base plate sits on top of the IGBT to allow for surface contact cooling.

Increasing the heat sinks ability to transfer heat is important to achieve the increasing demands for reducing size and increasing current of the IGBT.

EV and HEV Product Solutions

Demand for mild, full or plug-in technology is on the rise globally, driving a requirement for multiple drive architectures. Our expertise in a vast array of heat exchanger applications gives you the flexibility to develop efficient, market leading propulsion technologies to meet this growing demand.

Products Include:

  • Battery Thermal Management
  • IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) Heat Sinks
  • High Efficiency Gas-Gas HEX
  • Waste Heat Recovery Systems
  • Fuel Cell Heat Exchangers

The “Omega Fin” Advantage 

Senior Flexonics’ “Omega Fin” design was created in order to solve the challenge of increasing the performance of the heatsink while maintaining a minimum gap for particle size. The Omega fin works by increasing the amount of fin surface area inside the heatsink.

Omega Fin Design Benefits

  • Developed to increase performance
    while maintaining a minimum gap for
    particle size
  • More surface area can be utilized
    with the Omega fin
  • Straight fin design has 9 fins while the
    Omega fin design has 12 fins a 33%
    increase

Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Thermal Management


Key Benefits

  • Full service supplier.
  • Full collaboration with customers to provide products.
  • A fully engineered solution, from design concept through to high volume manufacture.
  • Global production facilities, 30 operations in 13 countries.
  • Extensive range of thermal management solutions.
  • Programs managed using APQP framework.
  • Comprehensive fleet of FEA and CFD software.
  • Fully equipped test lab for validation testing.
  • Performance and durability test equipment.
  • ISO 9001 / 14001 and IATF 16949 certification.

Features

  • Better durability
  • Better corrosion resistant properties
  • Improved wear properties
  • Wide material selection

Products

  • Heat Exchange Plates for Battery Packs and Electronics
  • Battery Cooling Plates
  • Chill Plates
  • Electronics Cooling

Only from a company completely dedicated to innovation.


Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Thermal Management