Stellantis has developed a new EV battery pack configuration that eliminates the separate power electronics module and on-board charger to cut cost and improve efficiency
Cost remains one of the biggest challenges of electric vehicle s and the single most expensive piece in an EV is the battery, followed by the power electronics module and drive units. Electricity comes in two basic flavors, direct current where the electrons simply flow through the conductors and alternating current where the polarity is constantly changing.
AC motors are more efficient, but electro-chemical batteries only produce DC. Thus the need for the PEM which enables the transition between AC and DC. Stellantis researchers have been working on a new battery pack design that gets rid of the PEM, on-board AC charger and effectively turns the battery pack from DC to AC.Stellantis Stellantis engineers in France have been working with Saft, the battery unit of Total Energy and several research institutions to rearchitect the EV battery. They came up with the Intelligent Battery Integrated System or IBIS. Current EVs feature a PEM that uses semiconductors to take a DC flow from a battery and turn it into a sign wave AC flow to feed the motors. When the vehicle is slowing down and the motors are regenerating kinetic energy into electrical energy, the PEM also converts that AC flow back to DC to charge the battery. Most EVs also have an on-board charger that takes AC from an outlet or Level 2 charger and converts that into DC for the battery. Some vehicles like the Lucid Air integrate the OBC with the rest of the PEM in what they call the “Wunderbox.” Aside from the cost, one of the problems with a PEM is that the AC sine wave it produces from the high voltage DC flow is quite noisy. This causes a loss in efficiency of the propulsion system.What Stellantis has done is dispense with the PEM and OBC entirely. Instead, they have integrated a small inverter and control circuitry on each module within the battery pack. This is claimed to provide multiple advantages. Since the flow from each module is controlled independently, they can control the overall output of the battery more precisely. Each module generates an AC output that are then aggregated and sent to the motors. Each AC flow has a cleaner sine wave so the whole process is more efficient.This also enables the use of modules with different chemistries in the same pack since each module has its own control. Each module also has an output of just 48V. Thus it is easier and safer to service the battery because special high-voltage equipment and training isn’t necessary. A technician can remove a faulty module and replace it more easily. This can extend the life of the full battery pack and reduce total cost of ownership. With current systems, multiple modules are linked together to produce a high-voltage output and special procedures are required to discharge the whole pack and then remove modules. This is why when manufacturers like GM, Hyundai and Porsche have had battery recalls, the dealer technicians just removed the battery from the car and shipped it off to a special facility for repair. Stellantis first deployed this IBIS system in a stationary energy storage system but more recently has implemented it in a Peugeot e-3008 for testing. They claim a 10% improvement in energy efficiency on the World Light-Duty Test Cycle and 15% improvement in power output from 150-kW to 172-kW. The elimination of the separate PEM and OBC saves about 88-lbs. The overall energy conversion efficiency improvement works in both directions with 10% reduction in losses while charging and a 15% reduction in charging time. The initial IBIS prototypes used nickel-manganese-cobalt cells, but Stellantis says this approach is chemistry agnostic and could work with lithium iron phosphate or even solid-state cells. They also say that it can be executed with a cell-to-pack battery architecture that eliminates the individual modules and fills the pack with more cells. IBIS still needs more development testing and refinement, but according to Stellantis it could appear in production by the end of the decade.
Ibis Battery Stellantis Peugeot
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Faster, Farther, Cheaper, and Safer Battery Advancements March OnRimac displayed a solid-state pack and CATL showed off an ultra-long-life LFP pack and a dual-chemistry concept.
Read more »
You absolutely should not buy Apple’s iPhone Air MagSafe battery packFind the latest technology news and expert tech product reviews. Learn about the latest gadgets and consumer tech products for entertainment, gaming, lifestyle and more.
Read more »
– 12-day battery and fitness tools ready to take on Apple Watch 11Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech.
Read more »
Apple Watch Series 11: the 24-hour battery life isn't what you thinkIzzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities.
Read more »
Stellantis recalls 164,000 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer | Car NewsStellantis is recalling nearly 164,000 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs in the U.S. due to a door trim issue. There's no confirmation yet for Canada.
Read more »
The Protocol: ETH Exit Queue Gridlocks As Validators Pile UpAlso: DeFi’s Future on Ethereum, EF Creates dAI team, and Amex Blockchain-Based Travel Stamps.
Read more »