Delphi Showcases Innovative Wireless EV Charging

Delphi Automotive has equipped an electric vehicle with its Delphi Wireless Charging System, a highly efficient wireless energy transfer system featuring technology developed by WiTricity Corporation. Delphi will display the test vehicle at this year's SAE World Congress this week.

"This is a significant advancement in our research and development efforts to offer automotive manufacturers a practical wireless charging solution we believe is superior to others being proposed," said Randy Sumner, director, global hybrid vehicle development, Delphi Packard Electrical/Electronic Architecture. According to Sumner, engineers at Delphi's Customer Technical Center in Champion, Ohio, have installed the Delphi Wireless Charging System on an all-electric THINK City test vehicle, and have confirmed that system performance meets automotive market requirements.

A wireless charging system eliminates the need for a charging cord. Drivers can simply park their electric vehicle over a wireless energy source situated on the garage floor or embedded in a paved parking spot. Other wireless charging systems under development make use of traditional inductive charging, the same technology used in electric toothbrushes, which is based on principles first proposed in the mid-nineteenth century. These systems only work over a limited distance range, require precise accurate parking alignment and can be very large and heavy, making them impractical for widespread use on electric vehicles.

"The Delphi Wireless Charging System offers more practical and flexible installation than traditional inductive systems because it uses highly resonant magnetic coupling, a modern technology that safely and efficiently transfers power over significantly larger distances and can adapt to natural misalignment often associated with vehicle positioning during parking," Sumner said. This means that Delphi charging sources can be buried in pavement, are unaffected by environmental factors such as snow, ice or rain, can accommodate a wide range of vehicle shapes and sizes and their differing ground clearances. The Delphi system is also more forgiving to vehicle parking positions on top of the charger without requiring any moving parts to accommodate. The system transfers energy using an oscillating magnetic field, which is intrinsically safe for humans and animals.

According to Sumner, the system will automatically transfer power to the electric vehicle's battery pack at a rate of 3,300 watts -- the same rate as most residential plug-in chargers -- and is able to do so with the smallest and lightest modules possible. These components are important to minimizing overall vehicle weight and cost while maximizing the driving range of EVs, a critical selling point for automakers.

"We are excited by our testing and validation of the system and believe we have a valuable and unique wireless charging solution that offers the most potential for widespread use in the automotive market. With the support of automotive manufacturers, this technology can be integrated into the next generation of electric vehicles," Sumner said.

Wireless charging technology will need to co-exist with plug-in charging solutions, he added, so that electric vehicle drivers have the ability to charge their vehicle when they are away from their wireless charging source.

Delphi also makes a Portable Electric Vehicle Charger that fits conveniently in the trunk of an electric vehicle. The user-friendly, UL-listed charging system plugs into any standard 120-volt outlet to enable safe electric vehicle battery charging at home or away. The charging unit can also be integrated into stationary charging applications.

Largest Solar Project in the Southern Hemisphere Approved

Final approval has been granted to one of the world’s largest solar projects, the $104.7 million Kogan Creek Solar Boost Project, the Australian Federal and Queensland State Governments have announced.

CS Energy’s 750 megawatt (MW) coal-fired Kogan Creek Power Station near Chinchilla in southwest Queensland will soon be home to a 44 MW solar thermal addition representing the largest solar project in the Southern Hemisphere and the world’s largest solar integration with a coal-fired power station.

CS Energy Chief Executive David Brown said that the innovative solar project represents one of the most significant investments to date in solar thermal technology and is part of CS Energy’s commitment to producing cleaner electricity from existing coal-fired power stations.

The Kogan Creek Solar Boost Project will increase the amount of electricity generated by up to 44 MW during peak solar conditions, providing an additional 44,000 MW hours of electricity per year.

“In simple terms, the solar addition will enable Kogan Creek Power Station to produce more electricity with the same amount of coal,” Mr Brown said.

The project will use AREVA Solar’s Australian-pioneered compact linear Fresnel reflector (CLFR) technology to supply additional steam to the power station’s turbine, supplementing the conventional coal-fired steam generation process.

The technology uses heat from the sun to convert water to steam with zero emissions. It is the most land-efficient solar technology, generating 1.5 to 2.6 times more peak power per acre of land than competing solar technologies and is the only CLFR provider to supply superheated steam which has specific application to the power generation market.

“The location is ideally suited for a solar thermal system due to the good levels of solar insolation, or more simply the amount of sunshine, in the region,” Mr Brown said.

“Already Kogan Creek Power Station is one of the largest and most energy efficient power stations in Australia’s electricity market,” Mr Brown said.

The solar power will also be generated directly into the electricity transmission grid.

The Australian Solar Energy Society (AuSES) has welcomed the announcement of the Federal Government funding for the Kogan Creek Solar Boost project.

“This is an excellent example of the potential of Big Solar to help combat Australia’s emissions, and create jobs and investment in regional Australia,” said John Grimes, Chief Executive of AuSES.

“Pricing carbon provides an opportunity to do much more, and we call on the federal government to use a portion of the carbon price revenue to target Big Solar”.

Construction on the Kogan Creek Solar Boost Project is scheduled to commence in the first half of 2011.

This project is distinct from the CS Energy Solar Flagships program project, although both are located at the same sight. CS Energy is in partnership with Parsons Brinkerhoff, Siemens, John Holland, Infrastructure Capital Group, the Queensland University of Technology and Curtin University to develop the Solar Flair Project, a 600 MW solar thermal project based on based on Parabolic Trough Collector technology.

Kogan Creek Solar

Maxwell Technologies Doubles Ultracapacitor Production Capacity

Maxwell Technologies reported today that it has more than doubled production capacity for ultracapacitor electrode, cells and modules over the past year, and is moving forward with additional capacity expansion to satisfy rapidly increasing demand for its ultracapacitor products.

"The company has produced more than 15 million cells of all types since setting up initial high-volume production," said David Schramm, Maxwell's president and chief executive officer. "With ultracapacitor sales having grown by more than 50 percent in each of the past two years and our expectation for continuing rapid growth going forward, we need to make sure we stay a step ahead of demand."

Working with a contract assembly partner, the Company brought on line a new assembly line for its redesigned, high-volume, 350-farad "D-cell" ultracapacitor in the third quarter of 2010. Before moving D cell assembly, Maxwell had produced approximately 7 million D cells, mainly for wind turbine blade pitch mechanisms, at its Swiss production facility.

In collaboration with another contract assembly partner, the company recently completed installation of a second assembly line for its K-2 family of large cell products, and a third line is scheduled to be installed later this year. Maxwell produced its 2-millionth 3,000-farad large cell in January, and expects to deliver a third million by the end of this year. Large cells have been used mainly in hybrid transit buses for regenerative braking and torque assist, and the company is now supplying a 1,200-farad large cell to Continental AG, a global Tier 1 auto parts supplier, for a stop-start idle elimination system introduced last fall by PSA Peugeot Citroen.

A third contract manufacturer assembles Maxwell's HC family of small cell products, which range from one to 150 farads, and are used mainly in industrial electronics applications.
In December 2009, the company announced that it was expanding production capacity for its postage stamp-size, 10-farad PC-10 ultracapacitor cell to satisfy rapidly increasing demand generated by a new backup power application in solid state disk drives for enterprise computing systems. Previously, Maxwell had delivered several million PC-10s to power wireless transmitters in automated electric utility meters and other devices.

The proprietary electrode material used in all BOOSTCAP cell types is produced only in the company's San Diego facility. Electrode capacity has been doubled over the past 12 months and will be re-doubled by mid-2012. The company also is evaluating proposals from economic development agencies in several adjacent states for location of a second electrode facility it plans to outfit and bring online in the second half of 2012.

Unlike batteries, which produce and store energy by means of a chemical reaction, Maxwell's ultracapacitor products store energy in an electric field. This electrostatic energy storage mechanism enables ultracapacitors to charge and discharge in as little as fractions of a second, perform normally over a broad temperature range (-40 to +65C), operate reliably through one million or more charge/discharge cycles and resist shock and vibration. Maxwell offers ultracapacitor cells ranging in capacitance from one to 3,000 farads and multi-cell modules ranging from 16 to 125 volts.

Red Bull's KERS conundrum

Sebastian Vettel admitted Red Bull's unreliable KERS system almost cost him victory in Malaysia - but what is causing the problems and how can they be solved?

With their low-running front wing and one of the most efficient exhaust-fed diffuser layouts on the grid, Red Bull appear to have developed the best car at least for the start of this season - but as their rivals copy to catch up, their fundamental failure on KERS development is starting to become a serious worry.

McLaren's rapid turn-around from their pre-season disasters to become contenders for pole and race victory in Malaysia has been helped by their decision to drop the 'octopus' exhaust and mimic the approach used by Red Bull. The close competition between McLaren and Red Bull in qualifying last Saturday showed that with all elements working, at Sepang at least, they are fairly well-matched.

McLaren has more developments to come, too. Their exhaust system is currently rather patched together and after one new solution failed last weekend they hope to have another on the car in China, which could refine their performance even further. And they haven't even started looking at the Red Bull approach to the front wing yet...

Red Bull, in contrast, has one major focus - going all-out to fix their KERS problems. But Sepang showed it won't be easy.

Webber's KERS problem in Malaysia happened on his way to the grid and its immediate failure suggests a software glitch. Vettel's problems started part way through the race, when he was told not to use the system, but apparently after a while he was allowed to put it back on again. Newey explained later this was due to "safety" issues, and the fact it could be restarted after a while may suggest the unit was overheating and simply had to have time to cool down. Certainly, Newey's comments after the race point to multiple issues with the system, not just one clear problem.

SYSTEMS KNOWLEDGE

The Red Bull KERS is based on the Renault and Magneti Marelli system, which was first developed in 2009. The team ran tests with the system back then, but quickly chose not to use it as they concluded the benefits did not overcome the performance loss from the weight increase that came with it.

With that weight increase now accounted for in the rules, KERS has all the benefits with none of the side effects in this area - making it an essential system to have on the car.

It was confirmed by Renault during winter testing that both Lotus Renault and Red Bull Racing are using an evolution of their 2009 KERS - but, crucially, Rob White explained that "while Renault provides a central point of contact for the KERS system on the engine, its integration into each car and its operation is the responsibility of the respective teams".

The electronics and software elements of the system are understood to not be part of the package - suggesting Red Bull has the hardware but must develop their own way of making it work.

Newey admitted in Malaysia that the team is struggling due to a lack of knowledge and resources in this area compared to some of the teams with closer connections to automotive manufacturers like McLaren (with Mercedes), Mercedes GP, Ferrari and Lotus Renault. Red Bull's own collaboration with Nissan's luxury brand Infinity is still far too new to net any technical benefits - meaning they are going it alone to find a solution.

PACKAGING

In addition to the hinted-at software issues, Red Bull could well have other problems in terms of the system's packaging in the car - because technical director Newey is notorious for wanting to limit anything that interferes with aerodynamic perfection.

Red Bull's system has the KERS control unit located tight in on the right hand side of the car, with the battery pack tucked onto the side of the gearbox on the left hand side of the car, in an area that would normally be 'dead space' within the sidepod.

This contrasts with the other KERS users, who position the batteries beneath the fuel tank. This would normally give a better weight distribution, but due to the new tyres this year, front-to-rear weight distribution has been fixed by the teams so Red Bull can get away with the more rearward location while gaining a packaging benefit - but the question is does its position cause other problems?

Both parts of the KERS system get extremely hot during operation and need cooling - but with the more rearward location of the batteries a more complex cooling solution may be required. In addition to this, Newey will be keen to keep cooling inlets as small as possible because any opening in the bodywork causes additional drag on the car. It seems that possible compromises in this area may have gone too far - and any quick fix to increase cooling will harm the car's performance.

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

The unit provides an extra 80bhp for five seconds per lap, providing around 0.3s of lap time advantage, but in terms of out-and-out performance this can obviously be overcome by simply producing a car that is at least 0.3s faster than the opposition when running without KERS - which in Australia is where Red Bull appeared to be.

On many of the tracks where KERS is less important, that could still be the situation and if Red Bull's advantage becomes more marginal and they cannot trust KERS they could benefit from removing it and positioning the replacement ballast in locations that will improve the balance and performance overall.

But if they did remove KERS, with no testing allowed away from the grands prix they would then have no way of working towards a reliable system - and while they could test on Fridays and then run the 'serious' part of the weekend with ballast instead, it is difficult to make that change quickly.

Also, in circuits with longer straights like Malaysia and this coming weekend's race in China, it is the strategic advantage of the KERS system (when used for overtaking rather than just as a tool to provide additional power through the lap) that makes not having it a huge disadvantage.

It was clear from Mark Webber's start in Malaysia that a lack of KERS on the start line will ruin a race and his fightback through the field also demonstrated that that without KERS, the movable rear wing (DRS) is less effective too. He managed to use the system for a few moves, but it was not as easy as it could have been.

Most importantly for Red Bull, last weekend's race showed that they have the ability to monitor issues with the system and turn it off without a problem if reliability becomes a concern.

So it appears the solution, for China at least, is to continue running it while accepting that they may again just have to do a bit of damage limitation if things go wrong.

Ford EV Buzz Heats up as Chief Engineer Talks @ SAE World Congress

With a full suite of new electrified vehicles coming to market over the next two years, Ford is pushing ahead with key technologies to advance its electrification strategy. At this week's SAE 2011 World Congress, Chuck Gray, Ford chief engineer of Global Core Engineering Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, will share his insights on the emerging top five electrification technologies, ranging from batteries and motors to Human Machine Interface (HMI) features.

"As we see continuing escalation in the price of fuel, people are becoming more interested in electrified products," Gray explained. "We've developed a clearer picture of how these technologies can be leveraged and brought to market, and we're confident that each will further improve the efficiency of our expanded portfolio of products."

Ford has more than 244 patents for its electrification technology. The company's top five electrification technologies being discussed by Gray are:

Auto Start-Stop

Ford's popular fuel-saving technology that automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop – a feature found today on Ford Fusion Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid and on some Ford cars in Europe – will soon be added to conventional cars, crossovers and SUVs in North America.

Ford's patented new Auto Start-Stop system for gasoline engines will improve fuel economy for most drivers by at least 4 percent. The gain can be as high as 10 percent for some drivers, depending on vehicle size and usage. It also reduces tailpipe emissions to zero while the vehicle is stationary or waiting at a stoplight with the engine off.

Human Machine Interface

HMI – the way the vehicle interacts with the driver – is a significant component in Ford's suite of electrified vehicles that helps to inform, enlighten, engage and empower drivers.

Just as the growing leafy vine of today's SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide represents fuel efficiency in Fusion Hybrid, the cluster display in the all-new Focus Electric will use blue butterflies to represent the surplus range beyond one's charge point destination – the more butterflies there are, the greater the range.

At the end of each trip a display screen provides distance driven, miles gained through regenerative braking, energy consumed and a comparative gasoline savings achieved by driving electric. Other range enablers will include a budget view, range view and Brake Coach, which gives drivers feedback on their braking performance to maximize recuperation back into the battery.

The new Focus Electric also will feature the MyFord Touch™ map-based Navigation System using the vehicle's center stack 8-inch touch screen, which is another iteration of HMI. After adding their driving destinations, including their next charge point, into the vehicle's Navigation System, the vehicle will coach drivers on how to achieve the desired range – or if travel plans need to be adjusted. The onboard Navigation System provides an EcoRoute option based on characteristics of efficient EV driving.

Motor

The new Ford C-MAX Energi and C-MAX Hybrid models, to be launched in 2012, build on the success of the critically acclaimed powersplit architecture Ford uses in its current hybrids, including Fusion Hybrid.

In a powersplit hybrid, the electric motor and gasoline-powered engine can work together or separately to maximize efficiency. The engine also can operate independently of vehicle speed, charging the batteries or providing power to the wheels as needed. The motor alone can provide sufficient power to the wheels in low-speed, low-load conditions, and work with the engine at higher speeds.

While this system enables the current Fusion Hybrid to operate in fuel-saving electric mode up to 47 mph, Ford is targeting higher electric operating speeds for C-MAX Hybrid and even more capability for C-MAX Energi, which will have the advantage of additional battery power.

Battery

Ford's future hybrid and electric vehicles will use new lithium-ion battery systems that are designed to maximize use of common, high-quality components, such as control board hardware that has proven field performance in Ford's current, critically acclaimed hybrid vehicles.

Li-ion battery packs offer a number of advantages over the nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries that power today's hybrid vehicles. In general, they are 25 to 30 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter, which makes them easier to package in a vehicle, and they can be tuned to increase power to boost acceleration or to increase energy to extend driving distance.

Focus Electric, C-MAX Energi and C-MAX Hybrid models all will be powered by advanced lithium-ion battery systems that are being engineered by Ford. The Focus Electric battery system uses heated and cooled liquid to help maximize battery life and fuel-free driving range.

Thermal management of lithium-ion battery systems is critical to the success of pure electric vehicles. The system also features cabin climate preconditioning while on charge from the wall plug to further maximize electric range during driving.

"Our battery and motor systems engineering are key enablers of our electrification strategy," said Gray. "Our goals are to continue to improve energy efficiency while simultaneously reducing costs, providing a value benefit to the consumer."

Regenerative braking system

Regenerative braking is a function that captures the energy normally lost through friction in braking and stores it. Greater than 90 percent energy recovery is achieved by delivering full regenerative braking, which means less than 10 percent of braking is through traditional friction brakes.

The power of choice

Electrification is an important piece of Ford's overall product sustainability strategy, which includes the launch of five electrified vehicles in North America by 2012 and in Europe by 2013. Ford launched the Transit Connect Electric small commercial van in 2010 and will launch the all-new Focus Electric later this year. In 2012, these models will be joined in North America by the new C-MAX Hybrid, a second next-generation lithium-ion battery hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid. This diverse range of electrified vehicles allows Ford to meet a variety of consumer driving needs.

Siemens and BMV unveil wireless EV charging station

Siemens and BMW have entered the wireless electric vehicle charging market with their version of inductive technology.

The two firms launched their non-contact charging station at manufacturing fair Hannover Messe last week in advance of a government-funded trial scheme in Berlin planned for June this year.

Inductive charging allows motorists to recharge their electric vehicles’ batteries just by parking their car over the wireless station, making the process quicker and simple, and reducing the changes of wear and tear or damage from vandalism.

Halo IPT, a spin-out from Auckland University, became the first company to launch commercial wireless vehicle technology in November 2011 following more than a decade of trials.

Siemens now intends to test its own 3.6kW charging technology in an electric vehicle to determine what improvements would be needed to integrate the system into series-produced vehicles under real-life conditions.

‘A big obstacle to the expansion of electric mobility is the lack of an extensive and reliable charging infrastructure,’ Siemens said in a statement.

‘Because electric cars have to recharge their batteries more often than vehicles with combustion engines need to refuel, various charging techniques are required that are adapted to the needs of the drivers and vehicles.

‘Siemens’ inductive energy transmission concept would make it possible to automatically recharge vehicles such as taxis waiting at cab stands.’

It added: ‘The associated charging stations can be easily incorporated into practically any setting, making them nearly invisible and effectively protecting them against vandalism and wear and tear.’

The charging stations are connected to the public grid by an underground primary coil. A secondary coil is attached to the car and when the driver starts the charging process, an electric current begins to flow through the primary coil.

The resulting magnetic field induces an electric current in the secondary coil, which recharges the battery. Electricity is transmitted from the grid through all of the components to the battery at an efficiency of more than 90 per cent.

The magnetic field is generated only in an exactly predetermined area between the two coils, which are typically between 8cm and 15cm apart.

The system therefore generates a magnetic field whose strength in and around the vehicle is far below the internationally recommended limit of 6.25 microteslas.

The system could also enable the car to serve as a storage unit where most of the energy it uses is surplus electricity from solar- and wind-power facilities.

Samsung-Bosch Venture to Invest in Car-Battery Plants

SB LiMotive Co., a 50-50 joint venture between South Korea's Samsung SDI Co. and Germany's Robert Bosch GmbH, will invest $500 million by 2013 to add one or two more car-battery production lines in Korea.

Samsung SDI may also expand its production facilities beyond Asia to regions including Europe to meet increasing demand for batteries used for electric automobiles, a company spokesman said Tuesday.

In September 2009, Samsung SDI flagged its intention to invest as much as 500 billion won ($460 million) from 2011 through 2015 in facilities to produce batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles.

Samsung SDI—an affiliate of South Korea's biggest conglomerate Samsung Group—and the world's largest lithium-ion polymer car battery maker by sales, LG Chem Ltd., are both seeking to gain a greater share of the global automotive-battery market.

"Samsung announced earlier this year that it will push the electric car battery business as one of its new growth drivers and we see a lot of growth potential in this market, as demand for electric cars will continue to increase more and more as time goes by," a company spokesman said.

The joint venture currently produces 50,000 units of rechargeable batteries for cars a month but it plans to boost its monthly production capacity to as much as 400,000 units within the next three years, the company spokesman said.

Last week, Samsung SDI and LG Chem announced that they will increase investment in their battery businesses, as the South Korean companies seek to capitalize on fast-growing demand for rechargeable batteries used in consumer electronics and automobiles.

Samsung SDI currently supplies lithium-ion batteries to global car manufacturers, including BMW AG and Chrysler Group LLC of the U.S., while LG Chem has 10 customers for its lithium-ion polymer batteries, including General Motors, Ford Motor, Renault, Hyundai Motor and China's Chana.