Trends in E-Mobility testing

12/14/23 • 19 min

To meet the needs of E-Mobility developers and testers, today's high-power, power supplies and loads have to be programmable and able to simulate different scenarios, as well as to provide measurement data to not just test, but also validate and qualify batteries and fuel cells.

If we view this also in the context of time-to-market (and total cost of ownership), the right (bi-directional) power supply can play a role by being scalable not just in power, but also in interaction: that is, reusing tests and programming effort while transitioning from development to prototypes, and from prototypes to production.

At the end of the life cycle, after being used in E-Mobility, degraded batteries may have a second life in domestic or grid-coupled storage – but they need to be thoroughly qualified. Bi-directional power supplies can help, again, in achieving this – or in deep discharging batteries and fuel cells for recycling.

In episode 7 of "Sound On. Power On.", Michael Himmels, Head of Product Management at EA Elektro-Automatik, talks about the role of power supplies, and how they continue to rise to emerging challenges.

More information on EA Elektro-Automatik can be found here.

More information on EA Elektro-Automatik can be found here.

Previous Episode

The role of high-power converters in efficient and stable smart grids

The design and deployment of power converters are essential for the efficiency and smooth operation of modern smart grids.

In episode 6 of the "Sound On. Power on.", Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marco Liserre, Kiel University and the new host David Hegarty talk about the role of power converters in so many parts of the modern grid.

Widespread use means efficiency makes a huge difference. Modular topologies can be tweaked to push this efficiency and reduce the effects of passive components. Central to this achieving this potential is the use of digital twins, and power-hardware-in-the-loop to enable the synergetic design and prototyping of effective modulation and control – which apart from boosting efficiencies can also improve the handling of faults at the component and system levels.

While this has long been obvious for wind and photovoltaic generation, the spread of charging stations has also created new infrastructure challenges, where smart power converters can play an essential role in grid-forming and -management, contributing to the stability of the whole system.

More information can be found in the following:

Next Episode

Power Electronics in the Energy Transition

In episode 8 of "Sound On. Power On.", Frank Osterwald talks about how research, industry, and society, and projects are effectively coordinated by the Society for Energy and Climate Protection Schleswig‐Holstein (also known by its German acronym as the EKSH).

From research into materials and components such as wide bandgap semiconductors, to how island microgrids show a way forward for the smart grids of the future.

Frank Osterwald also investigates how - with almost twice as much renewable generation capacity as can be used locally - green hydrogen is opening opportunities for energy storage, industrial applications, and transport, as well as cross-sector coupling to use the "waste" warmth from electrolysis for district heating.

More information can be found at the EKSH website and LinkedIn-Profile, as well as in this German-language report (MDVC-Opt).