Thermal high-performance storage for vehicle application

Laboratory for high-performance thermal storage

A generally known problem for electric vehicles is the range reduction during winter months. The implementation of high-performance thermal storage units offers an attractive solution to provide the thermal energy for interior heating and increase range in winter term conditions.

Current research topics are the investigation of the overall system and of the subsystems. This includes the analysis of the storage material and the heat transport between the thermal energy storage and the cooling fluid of the vehicle.

Test bench for high-performance thermal storage
THS test rig for commissioning and measuring metallic latent heat accumulators

Areas of application

 
 

Experimental investigation and measurement of heat storages with metallic phase change materials

 

Endurance tests and cycling

 

Mapping of heating systems in vehicles such as buses and trains

 

Precise temperature measurement at high temperatures

Measurement technology

 

Measurement data acquisition

Delphin Expert Logger 400 + various slave modules

Test bench control

Delphin ProfiSignal

Temperature measurement

60x thermocouple type N

Air mass flow measurement

Measuring sections with Höntzsch TA10 probe

Pressure measurement

Absolute and differential pressure measurement: Kimo C310

Current measurement

1-phase up to 5A, 3-phase up to 63A

Auxiliary voltage

5V, 12V, 24V

Electric heating

 

AC

Bis zu 20 kW

DC

Bis zu 250 kW

Coolant supply

 

Cooling capacity cooling water

Max. 50 kW

Cooling water temperature range

20 - 90°C

Max. Flow rate

80 l/min

Max. Flow temperature

150°C

Air supply

 

Cooling air mass flow

Up to 500 m3/h

Other available components

 

High-temperature oven

Type Carbolite Gero CWF 12/23

Max. Temperature 1200°C

Chamber size 245 x 240 x 400 mm (HxWxD)

Precision measurement technology

Precision thermocouple sensor type S class 1 up to 1400°C

Precision resistance sensor Pt100 class 1/10 B up to 400°C

Various temperature equalisation blocks for calibration

Ahlborn data logger Almemo 710

Contact

Dr.-Ing. Frank Rinderknecht

Head of Research Area
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Institute of Vehicle Concepts
Alternative Energy Conversion
Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569 Stuttgart