ATS augments EV test facility with climatic chambers
Temperature and humidity can significantly impact the performance of electric vehicles (EVs) and their components such as motors, batteries, and power electronics.
Extreme temperatures and high humidity can accelerate wear and tear and degradation of components; impact the safety of EV components, particularly in battery systems where thermal management is critical; and can affect the energy efficiency and range of electric vehicles.
Further, electric vehicles are used in diverse climates and regions worldwide and all the vehicles need to perform optimally across all climates and regions.
Many regulatory standards and certifications require electric vehicles (EVs to undergo testing under specific environmental conditions to ensure compliance with safety and performance standards.)
ATS’ climatic chamber solutions for EV testing
Taking further its commitment to providing the best testing solutions for electric vehicles (EVs) and components, Automotive Testing Solution (ATS) has now augmented its EV test facility with climatic chambers.
Climatic chamber for electric vehicles is a specialized testing facility designed to simulate a wide range of environmental conditions such as extreme temperatures and humidity that electric vehicles (EVs) might encounter during their operation. These chambers test various components of EVs, including electric motors, batteries, electronics, and other systems, under controlled settings.
Now our customers can test their electric motors and batteries in controlled climatic conditions in every test bed at our EV Tech Centre in Bengaluru, India. We have worked closely with our partners to develop a system which can be used with our test beds of different capacities and sizes.
These additional systems will enable us to cater to our customer requirements and take us closer towards becoming the largest EV test facility in India.
As we keep on upgrading our facilities, we will expand our lab with three more motor test beds in 2024 including e-axle testing of heavy duty motors (450 kW, 3000Nm nominal torque ) and two more battery simulators .
Climatic chamber EV motor testing: How it works
During testing, electric motors are installed within the climatic chamber. The chamber's parameters are adjusted to simulate the diverse and extreme environmental conditions that the vehicles may encounter during real-world operation.
The key features and functions the climatic chamber for EVs include:
- • Temperature control (from below freezing to extremely hot temperatures)
- • Humidity control (to assess the effects of moisture on electrical components and materials)
- • Environmental simulation (mimicking specific environmental conditions such as desert heat, Arctic cold, tropical humidity, or high-altitude environments)
- • Integrated testing (multiple EV components tested simultaneously to evaluate their collective performance under realistic operating conditions)
- • Data collection and analysis (sensors and data acquisition systems to monitor and record various parameters to assess the tested components)
- • Regulatory compliance testing (ensuring that EV components comply with regulatory standards and industry certifications related to performance, safety, and environmental impact)
Climatic chamber motor testing of electric components and vehicles: Benefits
Ensuring that electric vehicle components perform reliably in real-world conditions enhances customer confidence towards EVs, boosting technology adoption and growing the industry.
Evaluating motor performance under extreme temperatures ensures that the motor can operate effectively in both cold and hot climates without compromising performance or reliability.
Assessing thermal management systems determines the effectiveness of cooling systems in maintaining safe operating temperatures for the motor and other vehicle components, such as batteries.
Identifying potential weaknesses helps identify any design flaws or weaknesses in the motor that may become apparent under specific environmental conditions, allowing for improvements before mass production.
Overall, testing EV components for temperature and humidity is crucial for enhancing reliability and safety, optimizing performance, ensuring regulatory compliance, and delivering electric vehicles that meet global consumers’ needs and expectations.