„E-Traction Is Attractive for Us“ KSPG CEOKSPG GERD DR

Photo: Petra Senn Die Zeitung des Rheinmetall-Konzerns „E-traction is attractive for us“ KSPG CEOKSPG GERD DR. TECHNOLOGY DRIVE KLEINERT ON NEW

Photo: Thomas Frank always involve internal combustion engines. combustion internal involve always which “hybridisation” of stages various volve years, 20 to electrifito in- will road 10the cation as especially next the in – reduction sion emis- and consumption fuel exchange, gas ing them- busy to thisselves with potential – for instance regard- continue will Suppliers low cost. relatively at achieved be can that tential po- optimization considerable offer still gines life. and time service charge volume, weight, capacity, to respect with ogy technol- fibattery the of in eld made progress on largely depend will electromobility of ture challenges that lie stantial fu- ahead The of us. sub- the tackle to need suppliers and industry of and the the auto development organizations institutes research hand, one the On today. to used are we mobility the provide to suffi advanced are ciently cars electric until years more on all we levels, are aware that it will take a few velopments. this evidence and of related provide de- further underscore will 2011) September 25th to 15th 2011 (from IAA The andincreased. encouraged vehicles are being electric with concerned ities and projects drive development novative activ- in- other from redirected being are funds R&D Substantial subject. the to thought serious ing giv- are makers car that demonstrated 2009) already (in to Frankfurt in IAA take last The actually roads. our vehicles extent electric what when to and is question The horizon. the fia fi become on rm have therefore xture electromobility and vehicles battery-powered that realized people many by government German the launched was initiative “electromobility” of 2010 following a groundbreaking trip around the world has a range of more than 200 km. 200 than more of range a has world the around trip groundbreaking a following 2010 of 0 from to 100 in kph just car four media seconds. The coverage that was given at extensive the end accelerating of capable roadster electric Tesla a testing Kleinert Gerd Dr. factor: fun cars Electric n h ohr ad itra cmuto en- combustion internal hand, other the On activities different many the of view in Even Neckarsulm/Neuss. Even before the national the before Even ual mobility in future. in future. ual mobility individ- towards technical contribution portant im- an make to capable itself considers KSPG reasen this For maker. car German renowned a from technology cell fuel in components gen ex- recent hydro- of series small One a for contract a is ample systems. drive cell fuel with vehicles test in represented been years many conditioning. air and ventilation heating, like the loads as related well as electronics power and battery drive, encompassing vehicles, electric of ment system thermo-manage- the to regard with the integration is fi eld ample Another ponents. com- structural aluminium of manufacture the including fi construction the light-weight of eld as well as to toalso plain pumps bearings, and trifi powertrain of the units of secondary cation elec- the to particularly relate electromobility years. coming in work development intense require likewise will these although stage, later some also at cells fuel by followed be to variants), (possibly hybrid engines combustion internal optimized choose to likely more are distances vehicles. or People longer travelling service ery deliv- as or commuters urban by largely used position. an intermediate given are vehicles to- battery-powered From point, vantage day’s group. our for market growing term long- and continous a as this considering are We vehicles. electric for components of ment to the develop- will expertise apply systems its (KSPG) Pierburg Kolbenschmidt and cars, compact city in introduced be will systems drive Finally, it is worth noting that KSPG has for for has KSPG that noting worth is it Finally, competencies KSPG’s in the fi eld of extended be will they that indicate surveys market Our electric that assuming are we Nonetheless: Dr. Kleinert Gerd Issue 1/2011 The choice of propulsion systems will be even bigger in future

lent potential, especially for the sup- fers potential because we already plier industry and it is up to us to market highly competitive solutions make a pertinent contribution. Legis- for turbocharged gasoline engines

lation on CO2 reduction is offering an for some years. Photo : fotolia incentive to spend money on such ac- KSPG in motion: Does the reduc- tivities since this prevent OEMs from tion of frictional power also play a having to pay penalties. role in this context? KSPG in motion: Which develop- Esch: Obviously, one is keen to use ments would help to reach these ob- the power generated in an engine jectives? through the thermodynamic process Esch: We already started to busy as far as possible. Frictional losses ourselves with the question of vari- are no good to anybody and it has able valve control some years ago. to be our utmost priority to minimize We did this because we are convinced them. KSPG has been conducting that variable valve control is one of fundamental R&D in this area for the most effective and efﬁ cient ways many years. We believe plain bear- of further reducing fuel consump- ings, pistons, engine blocks and tion. In 2010, we acquired the rights pumps all offer substantial develop- of enTec CONSULTING GmbH’s fully ment potential, allowing frictional variable valve control system Uni- losses to be reduced even further Valve; jointly with enTec and the Uni- through design modiﬁ cations which versity of Kaiserslautern, we are now are ongoing. developing the system to bring it to KSPG in motion: Can you give us full-scale series production maturity. some details? We expect fuel consumption and CO2 Esch: The new test rig at Necksulm reduction potentials of up to ten per- allows us to directly measure the cent in charged engines, too. frictional losses between piston and KSPG in motion: What about the cylinder and thus to establish funda-

Photos (2): Thomas Klink market potential and the advantages mental relationships. The next task of UniValve compared to other vari- will be to apply these ﬁ ndings to the Dr. Hans-Joachim Esch predicts a greater variety of propulsion systems in future able valve control systems. full-scale engine and demonstrate

Neckarsulm/Neuss. By concen- KSPG in motion: At the moment, spective portfolios are able to offer trating the group’s Research and the various stages of hybrid drive excellent development potential. Technology departments under Dr. systems are an intermediate step. KSPG in motion: Disregarding the Interview with Dr. Hans- Hans-Joachim Esch, Kolbenschmidt Where does KSPG stand in this con- electric vehicle and hybrid designs Pierburg has taken another impor- nection? and looking at conventional engines, tant step aimed at deriving the max- Esch: Talking of hybrid, one nor- the question of available fuels natu- Joachim Esch KSPG head of imum benefi t from available syn- mally thinks of the electric motor. rally needs to be asked. How do you ergies in this future-oriented part Hybridisation has a lot of potential assess the situation in this context? of the business. “KSPG in motion” for Kolbenschmidt Pierburg be- Research and Technology asked Dr. Esch about development Esch: Again, there is a big choice cause the combination of electric which is becoming more and more activities with a view to innovations motor and internal combustion en- in engine technology and possible varied. Today’s fuels – gasoline and gine is an extremely complicated diesel – will not disappear com- Esch: UniValve is a robust mechani- the advantages at the engine. This is contributions to alternative drive process requiring a lot of regulation cal system that is also favourable in planned for 2011. concepts. pletely from the market. However, and control. For instance, we have admixtures will become increasingly terms of installation. Compared to KSPG in motion: What about weight KSPG in motion: Dr. Esch, more to think about heating systems, a important and, in the more distant competitor systems, the purely me- savings? We have seen that OEMs and more experts warn that we domain in which especially our Pier- future, 100 percent regenerative fu- chanical design means it is much are forging alliances regarding the should not be too optimistic about burg and PPT divisions with their re- els like e.g. bio-fuels of the second easier to warrant high reliability use of fi ber-reinforced materials. The the switch to electric powertrains in generation. In addition, available throughout the life of the engine than most recent example is the coopera- the short-term. How do you rate de- Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Rehl, project ma- gases that are largely burnt away in the case of hydraulic systems. tion between Audi and Voith. Will velopments in the fi eld of full electric nager for engines and tribology in the nowadays could possibly be used. KSPG in motion: Will KSPG be able KSPG do the same in the light-weight drive technology in the remaining Research and Technology department As I said, it will be more and more to market new products in other construction sector? nine years up to 2020? of KSPG, at the Neckarsulm test rig. diffi cult to have only two gas pumps engine areas in the next ten to 15 Esch: Weight reduction is naturally Esch: Pure battery-powered cars like in former times. It is likely that years? becoming more and more urgent in will clearly not be completely covering public transport, governmental ve- the light of higher weight of hybrid sys- Esch: Exhaust turbocharging in the market by 2020. Numerous facts hicles and inner-city transport will gasoline engines will be one of the tems and especially battery-powered speak against this: fi rst, there is the be provided by communal fl eets op- key technology drivers and trends vehicles. This is why solutions that problem of high cost, then the avail- erated by very different fuels than in the years to come. Although re- used to be unacceptable for cost rea- ability of the necessary infrastructure those used in cities and rural areas ally only a niche market for extra sons are now becoming more accept- and last but not least also all the raw today. I actually think this makes powerful engines in recent years, able, including the use of fi ber com- materials needed for the many bat- sense. we think it will be an established posites. KS Aluminium-Technologie teries wouldn’t be available in such KSPG in motion: What about the standard in all gasoline engines in has extensive experience in the fi eld of a short time. But in other words, the components of the powertrain? Will the next fi ve to ten years in order fi ber-reinforced aluminum materials choice of propulsion systems is be- engine designs change, in other to implement fuel consumption po- and we cannot exclude that we will re- coming bigger and bigger. words, has the internal combustion tentials through downsizing. Tur- address this subject in future in order KSPG in motion: Looking beyond engine reached the limits of develop- bocharging in gasoline engines is a to achieve further weight savings. the target year 2020, how will our ment potential? great opportunity for KSPG since we KSPG in motion: Do you think ex- cars be powered in twenty, thirty or Esch: Thankfully, development is have considerable growth potential haust after-treatment still has po- forty years time? never quite at the end. Even 125 years in adjacent areas, for example, in tential or will attention focus on the engine itself in future? Esch: This is not so easy to answer. after the fi rst automobile, develop- connection with the operation of the It depends largely on which CO2 re- ments are still ongoing and I think so-called wastegate and divert air Esch: The prime focus is naturally duction goals are to be reached in fu- that competitive pressure resulting valves. Added to this, there is the on the engine itself. We shouldn’t be ture. A study conducted by McKinsey from electromobility will give rise to engine, i.e. the engine block and misled into thinking fuel consumption says that to reduce global warming even stronger optimization efforts in pistons. Considerable efforts will can be optimized otherwise. In addi- by two degrees, the CO2 produced the fi eld of drive technology. As I see have to be undertaken by us since tion to that the driver and the vehicle by cars will have to be reduced by it, there are two fundamental direc- the component load is much higher itself naturally have substantial infl u- about 20 to 30 grams per kilometer. tions: for diesel engines, develop- in such environments. This, too, of- ence on the actual fuel consumption. This would be another third of the ment is being driven by the desire to threshold we are actually targeting reduce NOx and particulates. Diesel for 2020. This would be revolution- engines have always had relatively Kolbenschmidt Pierburg ary since it could not be achieved by good fuel consumption properties. optimizing existing powertrains as is The situation with gasoline engines the case at present. It would call for is quite the opposite: they feature in motion a complete re-think. It would prob- good properties in terms of conven- Publisher: Responsible: ably necessitate the use of fuel cells tional emissions – i.e. NOx, HC and Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG Peter Rücker, or pure electric mobility. It is too early CO – but their fuel consumption be- Karl-Schmidt-Str., D-74172 Neckarsulm Folke Heyer, to say whether this will be achievable haviour needs to be improved. Both www.kspg.com Rolf-D. Schneider or not. development directions offer excel- msc/fhe Neckarsulm. Low electrical storage capacity limits the range of today‘s battery-only powered electric vehicles. And, once the battery is empty, these vehicles require a longer recharging period before they are again ready for reuse, unlike conventional drive propulsion systems which can be quickly refueled. Using range extenders to extend the range of electrically powered vehicles when necessary therefore offers a logical way to reach one‘s destina- tion free of stress. From a technical standpoint, this amounts to an additional power unit – in most cases small combustion engines which drive a generator. This in turn supplies the battery and electric motor with electrical energy. Kolbenschmidt Pierburg (KSPG) and FEV Motoren- technik GmbH have now jointly developed a concept for a compact, 30-kilowatt range extender.

Presented at the IAA 2011 for the fi rst time, shaft. For non-compact vehicles which need to the concept consists of a two-cylinder, V-type drive beyond the range of short urban routes gasoline engine with a vertically positioned and master longer overland trips other hybrid crankshaft and two generators with gear wheel transmission concepts are better suited. But drive. Except for the fuel tank and the radia- the use of range extenders could accelerate tor, all components are mounted on a support the launch of a generation of battery-powered frame. The vertical crank shaft requires only a cars and support legislators in their efforts to the upper limit to make short construction height, such that the module reduce CO2 emission. Among other advantag- can be integrated beneath the fl oor of a small es, this is because these power sets feature sure that we could passenger vehicle and, for example, be placed cost savings and weight reductions as a result achieve the agility neces- comfortably within a spare wheel recess. This of smaller battery sizes. They can also help to sary on today’s highways installation option offers a very easy modifi ca- achieve the usual range without long interim in long-distance traffi c, espe- tion procedure relative to conventional vehicle recharging periods whereat the periodically cially that the road performance construction and leaves room for interesting use of the range extender is effected in accor- for inclines is adequate.” vehicle packaging and styling options. dance with the chosen operating strategy. As Many vehicle manufacturers today do not yet The largely universally mountable module al- Prof. Dr. Eduard Köhler, responsible for ‘Elec- Latest news: KSPG and FEV have the small engine size necessary for range lows power set and vehicle manufacturers to tromobility’ in the Research and Motorentechnik GmbH have extenders in their portfolios. This therefore limit their development and application costs. Technology depart- jointly developed a concept opens up opportunities for module suppliers It is conceived in such a way that the vehicle ment of Kol- with complete ready-to-install solutions. As to for a compact, 30-kilowatt how prevalent the usage of range extenders range extender. might become, the consultancy McKinsey pub- lished a study “Boost!” at the beginning of 2011 in which – assuming a moderately tightened Consciously at CO2 limit of under 100 g CO2 per kilometer for 2050 (measured “Well-to-Wheel”, i.e. from the energy generation point to the exhaust pipe) – electric vehicles with range ex- the upper limit tenders (REEVs) could achieve a proportion on the order of 15% of all new vehicle registrations Concept for compact Range Extender until 2035. Assuming an equivalent scenario with a stricter limit of under 40 g CO2 per kilometer, interfaces are reduced to a minimum and the benschmidt Pierburg the McKinsey study expects module can be integrated and installed rela- Group, observes, “Seeing this proportion tively unproblematically. The automobile can the demanding CO2 regu- to be exceeded therefore be produced with or without a range latory environment that lies in 2030 and to extender. This incorporates the idea of a modu- ahead, we consider the range extender almost double lar construction system and allows manufactur- to be the solution for our times because until 2035. ers to offer the range extender as, for example, it affords greater mobility than the bat- an additional accessory equipment option. tery technology currently available while The range extender weighs a total of little more still ensuring in the NEDC (New European than 60 kg, together with the generators and Driving Cycle) that CO2 emissions are kept to mounted parts. Due to its special construction the low levels required.” Here one must also with active vibration compensation and an ad- note that current legislation favors the range vantageous power set mounting, the range ex- extender. As a ‘bridge technolo- tender achieves optimal NVH (Noise Vibration gy’, it could therefore pave the Harshness) scores. This means that the low- way for broader acceptance of noise environment of an electric vehicle is large- electric vehicles. ly maintained when the range extender is on. Kolbenschmidt Pierburg de- Electric battery transmission is currently still voted considerable attention limited to the subcompact segment. The ap- to its power unit performance propriate solution here is to employ a range concept. Says Eduard Köhler: extender which is limited to electric power “With a 30-kilowatt power rat-

Photos: KSPG/shutterstock generation and not coupled with the drive ing, we consciously aimed at

Germany, summer 2011: Everyone’s talking about electric for mass production in power ranges suitable for automobiles, Electric power systems offer a different picture. The produc- power. Politicians are expediting a withdrawal from nuclear to develop storage technologies that enable a certain minimum tion of future electric vehicles poses numerous challenges that energy. Bicycles with auxiliary propulsion are ‘in’ again. They range, and to build up an infrastructure that enables close- require intensive interdisciplinary cooperation, whereby the don’t rattle and vibrate like the classic Velo-Solex. Instead, they meshed recharging. The related effort is enormous, so it‘s focus lies on four thematic constellations: vehicle concepts, hum almost inaudibly thanks to an electric motor. Upcoming worthwhile to objectively compare and contrast the individual batteries, value-added structures, and production technology. automobile models will also feature electric power. A few years drive technologies: Related to these issues is the task of connecting the axles at ago, electromobility was derided as a niche technology hardly After 125 years of automotive history, the classical combus- an early stage such that the systems specifi cations and later worth taking seriously. Today it serves as a development con- tion engine may be considered a thoroughly mature technol- production processes are coordinated with one another as op- cept for an entire fi eld of industry. ogy. Over the past several decades, continual enhancements timally as possible. The rapid rise of electromobility has generated an immense to the engine block and its ancillary units have led to high de- The cardinal question of when and to what extent (i.e. number number of related tasks, despite the fact that the automobile pendability, while signifi cantly reducing both fuel consump- of units) the market will develop toward electromobility remains an open question, not least because electric vehicles carry a high price mark-up relative to combustion engines due to the expense Guest commentary: of the batteries. The reason is because both battery technology and its production technology are still in their infancy. Battery technology is closely tied with the question of electric vehicle range. As a bridge technology, one can comprehend the An ambitious hybrid-electric power train in its various manifestations. A combination of combustion and electric engine can indeed combine the strengths of both technologies. But unfortunately the costs balancing act also add up, reducing their acceptance in the marketplace. The coexistence of technologies that at least temporarily run Photo: Thomas Klink in parallel entails a high degree of complexity for automobile industry is no newcomer to working with gasoline engine al- tion and exhaust emissions. Based on the past achievements manufacturers and their suppliers. This means nothing less ternatives. Adapting truck and large motor diesel technology of automobile manufacturers and suppliers, one can therefore than further advancing the fundamental developments toward for passenger vehicles was already a pioneering achievement, expect this to continue into the future. electromobility – while at the same time further optimizing even though it was initially thought to hold little potential. Fleet The fi rst thing to mention when talking about disadvantages of combustion engines and not losing sight of intermediate tech- tests with natural gas, hydrogen, and fuel cells in the 1990s the combustion engine is the degree of effi ciency. Only a com- nologies, such as HCCI combustion or alternative fuels. and early investigations of hybrid propulsion in the last decade paratively small proportion of the deployed energy is actually Even if this requires a huge effort, it’s still worthwhile to per- fi ll many stacks of archives. used to move the car forward. Moreover, additional measures severe. In the motherland of automotive engineering, it remains And yet the electrifi cation of the drive chain now harbors a to improve effi ciency and reduce emissions increase cumula- essential to preserve a competitive technological edge well into new dimension. The challenges are to get electric engines fi t tive costs, but not cumulative effectiveness. the future. Stefan Schlott Photo: Thomas Klink Foto: Michael Rennertz

Neuss. Legal regulations governing pollutant reduction are continually tight- control interventions are necessary ening. For example, the current Euro 5 norm in the passenger vehicle sector to ensure that such turbocharged en- will be replaced by Euro 6 in 2014, and the newest version of the exhaust gines immediately respond to the ac- emission standards from Brussels can be expected. Manufacturers are mean- celerator. “Here we’re developing new while trying to lower the pollutant emissions of modern engines even further products, such as, for example, purely through various measures taken inside and outside the engine. Among other electrically powered wastegate actua- things, externally cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems have scored tors (see photo below). These actua- some signifi cant advances in lowering diesel engine nitric oxide production tors regulate the exhaust gas turbine bypass pathway independently of its in accordance with Euro 5. Among others, Pierburg has been developing sys- operating point,” says Dismon. Many tems and components for this process for some years. But development has electropneumatic and electrohydrau- advanced even further: the current high-pressure EGR systems are due to be lic systems would actually be con- supplemented with low-pressure EGR systems, which make it easier to ful- verted in future to purely electric solu- fi ll the requirements of the Euro 6 norm. Gasoline engines also harbor room tions, which would give rise to a broad for improvement, for example, through the use of secondary air systems or new business area for the Group. exhaust turbochargers which – as is already common practice with diesel The Head of Advanced Technology drives nowadays – enable more fuel-effi cient, high-performance engines. Development is convinced that quan- tum leaps in gasoline engine consumption reduction can meanwhile only be realized through dethrottling For exhaust emission and thus with gas exchange cycle systems. KSPG is therefore realigning itself toward this area. With this aim in mind, the company took over all rights standards of tomorrow to the ‘UniValve’ system from Hemer- based enTec CONSULTING GmbH in 2011. Says Dismon: “It involves a Specialist for consumption and pollutant reduction purely mechanical variable valve lift control.” Automobile manufacturers that have developed their own valve Pierburg is working intensively to Development of externally cooled control systems naturally dislike mak- develop the components necessary exhaust gas recirculation has made ing them available to the competition. for such systems, such as wastegate it possible to signifi cantly reduce pol- Therein lies the chance for KSPG: “To- actuators. lutant emissions from diesel engines.

gether with a large vehicle manufac- Photo: Christoph Schuhknecht But the bar has been raised once Another innovation soon supposed turer we again with the advent of the Euro 6 to come on the market is the variable are norm emission standards. “That‘s valve lift control “UniValve”, which why we are currently working can reduce fuel consumption of natu- on components for low- rally aspirated gasoline engines in pressure EGR systems, connection with camshaft phasers which, in part due to by up to 10%. Furthermore, the com- better cooling rates, are pany is also doing pioneering work even more effi cient than on alternative drive concepts. Thus a the high-pressure sys- hydrogen recirculation blower, which tems now in use,” says expedites the hydrogen through the Dismon. Fuel consump- so-called fuel cell stack, shall soon go Sustainable reduction: tion could moreover be re- into production – albeit only in limited Dipl.-Ing. Heinrich Dis- duced by up to 2% with this mon, Head of Advanced initial quantities (see box). system. “The exhaust gases Technology Develop- The less fuel a vehicle consumes, are only removed after passing ment at KSPG, presents the less exhaust (and therefore, pol- the exhaust gas turbine, which the mechanically fully lutants) are released into the air. This allows to open up effi ciency variable UniValve valve has been an accepted rule of thumb advantages on the char- train system, with which for ages. However, the term “pollut- ger.” fuel consumption can be ant” has meanwhile been newly de- But the exhaust expert reduced by up to 10%. fi ned. Due to global warming, carbon believes that gasoline en- dioxide (CO2) meanwhile tops the gines are also not even list of legally regulated substances, close to depleting although this gas, in contrast, for ex- their scope for ample, to toxic nitrogen oxides like improvement. actually NO or NO2, is a natural component of Like diesel drives, developing prototypes for a relatively the air. “For the automobile industry, the trend in gaso- small gasoline engine. And other man- compliance with emission limits is, so line engines is ufacturers have already expressed in- to speak, the admission ticket into the moving toward terest in our valve control,” says the marketplace. Otherwise they can‘t smaller (and hence Advanced Technology Development even sell their vehicles,” explains lighter) engines that still offer ample Head. That also hardly seems surpris- Dipl.-Ing. Heinrich Dismon, Head of torque – i.e. ‘downsizing’. Exhaust ing, given that the “UniValve” reduc- Advanced Technology Development gas turbochargers will play an im- es engine fuel consumption by up to at Kolbenschmidt Pierburg (KSPG). portant role here. Quick and precise 10%. Dr. Thomas Oelschlägel

Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG (KSPG) a large automobile manufacturer. traditionally produces components This product will soon enter limited for combustion engines. At the series production. Although initial same time, however, this automo- In on the quantities will be very low, discus- tive supplier has also been doing sions are already underway about pioneering work on electric power participating in additional fuel cell trains for 10 years now, i.e. ancillary action programs from this manufacturer. power units for fuel cell modules. Given that fuel-cell-powered ve- In the beginning its involvement hicles only produce water vapor ranged from sensor systems to elec- with fuel emissions out the exhaust pipe, this tric coolant pumps to mechatronic technology appears to be very en- control valves. Today the focus lies vironmentally friendly at fi rst sight. on peripheral systems for the so- cells However, the energy balance ulti- called fuel cell stack, i.e. the place mately depends on the entire chain at which electrical energy is pro- i.e. connected in series, in order to of emissions. In other words, the duced from the “cold combustion” power the vehicle. This stack works emission-free vehicle will only be- of water and oxygen. by means of a special membrane, come a reality when the electric cur- Because an individual fuel cell pro- which is evenly supplied with both rent necessary for producing the hy- vides only enough voltage to power fuel and an electrolyte. In addition, drogen is exclusively produced from a light bulb, several cells need to KSPG has developed a so-called regenerative energies like wind, wa- be stacked on top of one another, hydrogen recirculation blower for ter, and sunlight. tho Foto: KSPG msc Neckarsulm. Hydraulic braking systems ers place a very high became universally accepted in automotive con- value on the safe and Foto: KSPG struction decades ago. The systems are simply Brake secure operation of built, highly durable, and – through the use of pneumatic braking pneumatic brake boosters – attain a previously systems. The vacu- unachieved degree of comfortable pedal feeling um generation of the and operative safety. Due to the increased ef- electric pump model fi ciency of gasoline engines in modern vehicles boosters therefore also corre- a suffi cient vacuum supply was more and more sponds to that of the reduced which until that time fed the pneumatic innumerably tried system. Thanks to modern vacuum pumps, it and true mechani- has since become possible to retain this cost-ef- master cal vacuum pumps, fi cient, robust, and comfortable braking system. and guarantees that Not least in view of alternative drive systems, the pump optimally sup- Pierburg Pump Technology GmbH will in future plies the brake booster even, be offering an electrically powered vacuum “sailing” for example, in very frequent braking pump which is conceived as a dry-running vane maneuvers or when operating in heavy sport pump. It serves as the sole source of vacuum utility vehicles. power pressure and remains maintenance-free for the The new vacuum pump is able to fulfi ll the re- with the life of the vehicle. Pierburg Pump Technology is New vacuum pump quirements of a modern high-performance brak- combustion engine switched off thus continuing on its chosen course of electri- ing system even in cases where a mechanical while maintaining full braking power support. fying ancillary engine power units. for electric vehicles pump is completely omitted – i.e. for stand-alone According to Achim Brömmel, Head of Develop- Brakes are vitally essential for driving – solution designs. The electric vacuum pump en- ment at Pierburg Pump Technology: “The new which is why both manufacturers and custom- ables hybrid vehicles to run on purely electric vacuum pumps also enable the so-called ‘sailing’ mode, which is also found in hybrid vehicles. In this mode the engine can be switched off and decoupled while driving. This saves ad- Achim Brömmel, Head of Develop- ditional energy by removing the resistance of ment at Pierburg Pump Technology: the power train.” “The electric vacuum pump will enable hybrid vehicles to run on purely But the electric pump model also offers addi- electric power with the combustion tional advantages for conventional drives. Con- engine switched off, while maintain- ventional mechanical vacuum pumps, which ing full braking power support.” are directly coupled with the combustion engine, are certainly inexpensive, but bear the disadvantage of running continually while the vehicle is in operation – even when they are not needed – independently of operating point and even at high engine speeds. By contrast, the electric vacuum pump is shut off when no brake pressure is triggered. This saves fuel and reduces emissions. Achim Brömmel explains additional advantages: “Doing without the continually running mechanical pump also eases the stress on the motor oil lubrication system. The appropriate oil pump can therefore be smaller sized, which in turn raises the effi ciency of the drive.” The pump can moreover be installed independently of other power units. As a fast and uncomplicated application, it offers considerable advantages and can be used within the framework of a common parts strategy. This

minimizes application times and costs. Photos (2): Thomas Klink

Neuss. Electric coolant pumps from Pierburg Pump Technology GmbH (PPT) are nowadays used Electric coolant pumps are essen- in both conventional and alternative drive vehicles. They enable up to 3% reductions in fuel con- tial for hybrid vehicles: “The mo- sumption and CO2 emissions in combustion engines. In contrast to their mechanical counter- ment the combustion engine parts, coolant pumps allow optimal coolant adjustment to particular engine performance levels stopped running, all the cooling and other infl uencing factors, as, for example, the surrounding temperature, i.e. thermal man- circuits would break down,“ ex- agement. And vehicles that are either wholly or partly electric motor-driven (like hybrids) can no plains Dipl.-Ing Thomas Wienecke, longer do without electric coolant pumps. This is because the expensive batteries require active who heads Electric Coolant Pump cooling to avoid becoming too hot. Otherwise they could suffer damage. And the temperature Product Development at PPT. of the performance- and charge-electronics must also accordingly be regulated. The continual charging cycles furthermore place special demands on the endurance of the pumps. On balance, this adds up to at least fi ve times as many hours of operation as with combustion engine vehicles. For purely electric powered vehicles, coolant pumps must moreover fulfi ll especially high service life requirements. On average, this amounts to 7000 hours for models with Perfectly at ease with electric drives combustion engines, which corresponds to a road performance of approx. 250,000 ki- Electric coolant pumps provide effi cient temperature regulation lometers. “One manufacturer even placed a development order for an electric vehicle coolant pump that could last 40,000 hours,” Combustion engines can basically be tested in experimental electric fuel-cell drive reports Wienecke. The reason for these very cooled with both mechanical (i.e. belt-driven) vehicles for many years. 12 V pumps are now high parameters lies in the special driving and electric pumps. But for hybrid vehicles – used in modern vehicles – as opposed to the cycle of the electromobile. Every hour on the where an additional electric drive is installed high-voltage pumps used in the past. Says road requires a multiple of charging time in under the hood – electric coolant pumps Wienecke: “The batteries have which the pumps are still placed under de- become indispensable. “The moment the a voltage ranging between mand. To date, these pumps have reliably combustion engine stopped running, all 250 and 400 V. Power- run for 20,000 hours on the engine test the cooling circuits would break down,“ ing the pumps directly stands of PPT. Using this as a basis, the com- explains Dipl.-Ing Thomas Wienecke, via the high-voltage pany experts will use sophisticated methods who heads Electric Coolant vehicle electrical to extrapolate the second half. “Otherwise it would add up to a good fi ve years. In de- are planned to be added in the future to be Pump Product Develop- system therefore able to offer a pump with an optimal price- ment in the Development stands to reason. velopment, you just don’t have that kind of time,” says Wienecke. performance ratio for every requirement be- Department at PPT. But the pumps cause, after all, electric power costs money. That would also have have to fulfi ll However, PPT also has a comprehensive 20 W- and 35 W-pumps are therefore current- fatal consequences for completely differ- ‘off the rack’ product portfolio. The power ly being developed. Wienecke is optimistic the electric drive, ent insulation re- of these coolant p u m p s about the future, given that the given that quirements than ranges from 15 to electric coolant pumps can be both the bat- for a conventional 400 W, or, to put used in combustion engine teries and the 12 V vehicle electrical it another way: vehicles, hybrid models, performance system.” Sooner or later, he the largest pump or pure electromobiles: ele c t r onic s , can imagine a higher operating volt- has a delivery vol- “No matter what direc- which convert the energy age for fuel-cell drives and hybrid ve- ume of 9,000 l per tion drives may take in the being fed into the drive, and the hicles. This would then allow a sig- hour and the smallest future, we will always charge-electronics would quickly nifi cant increase in the effi ciency design model pumps be able to react fl ex- become too hot and at some point ex- of the pumps. Of course, the same out 1,000 l. A total of ibly to the demands perience functional failure. also goes for the price, say the seven different sizes of the market- Electric coolant pumps from PPT are found pump experts. Special solutions are currently being place,” he says in numerous hybrid auto models offered in normally therefore entail appropriate offered. And addi- confidently. Photo: KSPG Bild: Christoph Schuhknecht today‘s market. They have furthermore been production quantities. tional design models tho Kaufering. Demand for hybrid and electric drives besieged automobile manufacturers and their suppliers with gale wind Foto: Thomas Klink force. It would, however, be wrong to claim that this phenom- enon was sudden and unexpected. Harbingers of this paradigm shift have been observable for years. The engineering debate about the most effi cient and best suitable motorization of automobiles dates back to the very beginning of automotive history. Electrical and combustion drives were already competing in the early days of automobile construction. The fact that gasoline and diesel engines eventually prevailed lay in the availability of cheap and energy-rich petrochemical fuels. Given all the imponderables in predicting how long they would last, the fi nite availability of these fuels fi rst became clear during the oil crisis in the 1970s. At fi rst, nothing happened. Motor- ists railed against the high gasoline prices and kept on fi lling up their gas tanks. Even the voices of ‘green’ interest groups, who complained about emissions and the consumption of resources, received little notice for a long time. But a mood change became apparent at the end of the 1990s in wake of the Kyoto climate summit. Against the background of climate change and the ozone hole, the necessary countermea- sures suddenly appeared more urgent. Even though road traffi c only makes up a small percentage of CO2 emissions and other pollutants, individual mobility suddenly became the focus of attention. Consequently, politicians and climate researchers were not the only ones to travel to Kyoto. The automobile industry also took Support for indirect part in the climate summit. BMW, for instance, accom- panied the event with an exhibition intensively promoting hydrogen drives. Other OEMs presented fuel cell concepts. Electric vehicles as they are known today still played no role at that time – at most in the form of amateur, self-made solar vehicles. thermal management As a direct consequence of Kyoto, governments in all the important automobile markets began by tightening the emission Solenoid valves: Small components with big savings for the environment limits. At the same time, automobile manufacturers and suppliers intensifi ed their efforts to further optimize the combustion engine drive – with quite respectable success. For example, in a Neuss. Automobile manufacturers and their suppliers power for the valves as possible. Says Dr. Sonnenschein: letter to the government last year, the German Association of the need to make numerous fi ne adjustments in order to “A small standard valve switched with only half as much Automotive Industry (VDA) stated: “Over the years, we have op- fulfi ll the ever more demanding international emissions electric energy can save as much as 0.2 g CO2 per kilome- timized diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles and have already standards. In addition, the available potential for fuel ter.” On balance, this can add up to a signifi cant amount. reduced fuel consumption by 15%.” The publication went on to consumption reduction is rising in all areas. Thus Pierburg And in view of the threatening EU penalties, every gram of announce an additional 25% savings through downsizing and GmbH, for example, manufactures solenoid valves which greenhouse gas saved is important. optimal energy management for the coming years. are used for reducing engine CO2 in various places. Pierburg has therefore developed a solenoid valve Work with hybrid and electric drives slowly developed along The aim is always to further reduce pollutant based on a company-patented pressure equalization the way. However, the low market response to vehicles like the emissions, in large part by minimizing elec- process. “This gives the valve a lower switch- EV-1 from General Motors or the fi rst-generation Toyota Prius at tricity (and therefore fuel) consumption. ing resistance which means it fi rst held back commitment. Today, Pierburg, for example, uses also requires solenoid valves to control less copper. In the exhaust and bypass other words, it fl ap valves of exhaust doesn’t draw too Power train gas recirculation cooling much electricity systems in diesel engines. and it’s lighter and Valves for the thermal man- cost- ef fec tive,” agement of drives are assum- explains Dr. Son- engineering ing an increasingly prominent nenschein. The role in further reducing CO2 solenoid valve emissions. These valves, for is therefore op- instance, help to control oil Latest timally suited for circulation systems more pre- innovation: motor oil circulation in fl ux cisely. One example is the oil in an electric system applications gear transmission systems, says diverter valve that such as, for example, For general vehicle sales, the picture now looks totally differ- Dr. Karsten Sonnenschein, Head of is found in almost a variable control of the ent. According to fi gures from the automotive data company the Pierburg Business Unit ‘Solenoid every newer turbo- oil pressure. Electric pumps Polk, worldwide 1 billion registered vehicles were reached for Valves’. Once the engine starts, if the charged gasoline thus optimally adapt this pres- the fi rst time in 2010. Despite all the environmental discussions, oil were fi rst conducted over components engine. sure to the given load situation increasing motorization in emerging markets is further contrib- that heat up quickly – such as, for example, an of the engine – one further step on the way to- uting to this upward trend. The bottom line: The improved en- integrated outlet manifold, the exhaust gas recirculation, ward continually reducing fuel consumption and pollut- vironmental standards of the vehicles cannot compensate for or the turbocharger – then the friction in the gear trans- ant emissions of combustion engines. the environmental damage caused by the high numbers of new mission systems could be signifi cantly reduced during the And how does the future look? Here Dr. Sonnenschein vehicles on the road. start phase, which in turn would cut down on CO2. can also discern additional areas of activity for solenoid This realization, a heightened sensibility toward ecological In order to achieve this goal, oil fl ow must be precisely valves in, for example, the thermal management of elec- problems in broad portions of society, and – not least – the ad- controlled, which is only possible with electrically switched tric vehicles or in relation to additional CO2 reduction, vances made in the available technologies have meanwhile lead valves. The same applies for the variable motor oil circu- given that automobile manufacturers are currently pull- to a rethinking. Electric drives are no longer seen as a niche tech- lation system pumps that are increasingly seen on the ing out all the stops to land below the stipulated emis- nology, but instead as an important fi eld of innovation. market. But, as everyone knows, electricity does not just sion limits: “We have decades of experience in control The industry considers the electric future of the automobile a simply come out of the electrical outlet. In the case of a and regulating functions – which solenoid valves can foregone conclusion. The only open question is when this future vehicle, it comes from the electric generator, which in turn help accomplish – and we will also bring in our expertise will begin. By proclaiming the “National Electromobility Plat- consumes fuel and is thus too responsible for CO2 emis- in this domain in the course of the coming development form” in May 2010, the political targets in Germany are ambi- sions. The aim is therefore to achieve as low a switching of drive technology.” Dr. Thomas Oelschlägel Illustration: KSPG tious. At the same time, an international race has begun to claim the best starting position in the future market. For Dr.-Ing. Joachim Schneider, President of the German Associ- ation for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (VDE), electromobility is “a paradigm shift that opens up completely new potential for automotive engineering.” A trend survey of 1,300 VDE member companies also revealed a high affi nity for the topic. Innovations for turbo-charged engines The study participants see the economic and societal potential of electromobility especially in the pursued technological lead- ership, strengthening Germany as a business center, promoting Although much has already been achieved in past leader in producing the electro-pneumatic valves used environmental protection, as well as conserving scarce energy years, the combustion engine still offers potential for for this purpose. Its latest innovations include electric resources. About two thirds of respondents moreover believed further improvements. In particular, maintaining con- bypass valves which are now used in almost every that electric vehicles are highly accepted by the general public stant engine performance while reducing engine dis- newer turbo-charged gasoline engine model. An equiva- and their further development makes an important ecological placement (i.e. ‘downsizing’) through turbo-charging lent valve with an even lighter weight is currently under contribution toward achieving the EU emission targets. is a trend which has shown no sign of slowing down. development. This moreover reduces the space neces- This is hardly surprising, since small, exhaust-driven sary for installation. Whether or not that is really true will ultimately also come down turbo-charged engines feature lower fuel consumption to pricing. When natural gas-powered vehicles were fi rst intro- A further example of new technological solutions duced, OEMs learned that a price markup of about 1,500 rela- without having to sacrifi ce performance. And lower from Pierburg is an electric ‘wastegate’ actuator, with tive to gasoline-powered vehicles can put a considerable damp- consumption of fossil fuels also translates into CO2 which – in brief – the turbocharger pressure can be er on sales. According to current forecasts, additional costs for emission reductions. even more precisely controlled compared to pneu- electric vehicles will exceed 1,500 in the medium term. In this Turbo-charger components for combustion engines matic actuators used for this purpose. Moreover, this respect, it remains to be seen whether the green conscience of make up a large part of the business of the Solenoid actuator can be incorporated into vehicle on-board consumers will triumph over purely economic considerations ... Valves Business Unit of Pierburg GmbH in Neuss, Ger- diagnostic systems. This new development currently or when oil prices will have risen high enough to negate the cur-

many. Today the company is the worldwide market has pre-production status. tho Photo: Christoph Schuhknecht rent cost disadvantage of electromobility. Stefan Schlott Photos (4): Thomas Klink ponents made out of aluminum – an additional business area for the Neckarsulm-based company. made out of aluminumponents – an the additional Neckarsulm-based area for business com- by equivalent to be replaced set are compositions or steel iron made of cast out components structural and frame chassis where running currently are projects development Moreover, efficiency. engine - increase time same the at and future foreseeable the in potential savings additional on a coating that will special offer working cylinder are currently company experts iron. The of cast out made blocks signifiengine are than that lighter blocks cantly engine aluminum manufactures ve- trim to necessary however Aluminium-Technologie GmbH are KS processes, casting measures for specialist a As of further. down bundle hicleweight A g. 9 to up by engines diesel from and g 8 to up by engines gasoline from emissions CO2 lower can This 0.35fuel. l about saves duction Engine blocks and chassis in light-metal parts frame design Aluminum lends „wings“ to vehicles ed a ih r. Wl tikess f around of thicknesses Wall art.” high a ready al- that’s But mm. 4 toward moving is tendency “The casting: die low-pressure in mm 4.5 at lie normally today which blocks, engine aluminum sibilitiesreducingwallforthicknessesthe the of comparable engine block made out of cast iron. to 35% in diesel engines, respectively relating to a up and potentialengines gasoline in 40% to up savingsof assume however experts casting the which in turn create additional weight. In the end, must ribs blocks,engine aluminum in inserted thereforebe Reinforcing thinly. more cast be steel can of out made walls because is This (right). Aluminium-Technologie KS at Development uct emphasizesDr. Christian Klimesch, Head ofProd- iron,” cast of out made block engine equivalent rialmustnecessarily an thanthirdslightertwo be mean that an engine block made out of this mate- doesn’t that “But steel. than lighter times three tho Neckarsulm. Neckarsulm. tho eod hs D. lmsh lo tl se pos- sees still also Klimesch Dr. this, Beyond 2.7,of almostindex densityis a aluminum With According to the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), every 100 kg weight re- weight kg 100 every (NEDC), Cycle Driving European New the to According smaller,” explains Dr. Klaus Damm, Head of Ap- of Head Damm, Klaus Dr.smaller,” explains getting continually are addition in bear- which – ings high-performance extremely with accommo- be dated only me- can that thermal stresses high chanical very entail ratings number “These past. the from engines comparable than emission pollutant and consumption fuel less hp) and 500 Nm of torque – allsignifi with cantly (220 kW 160 approx. offer to displacement gine en- l 2 about with drive a for today impossible surfaces. material novel andslide systems with experimenting are Leon-Rot St. from ists special- bearing plain the requirements, future for prepared be to order In on bearings. the place demands special also vehicles these in transmissions the But Volt. the Chevrolet for bearings main the supplies Gleitlager KS example, for thus, – vehicles hybrid in gines en- performance high compact the especially of view in must, a is This losses. frictional in reductions additional provide processes ing coat- and materials New in sync with the engines. shrinking therefore are GmbH Gleitlager KS at products The bearings. without innovative plain unthinkable be would development This ture. fu- distant too not the in art the of state come be- will cylinders two!) eight-cylinder just even (or even three And past. or the in did engines six as well as perform often engines cylinder four Modern formance. per- of terms fully in engines larger with become comparable meanwhile have engines These pollution. less emit and engines fuel less consume that combustion smaller ever developing weight. Some OEMs are already utilizing the ap- the utilizing already are OEMs Some weight. reducing further of aim future the achieving for possibilities offers still also cylinder the of face sur- contact the coating that given tether, bial blocks incooperation with thecasting suppliers. automobile manufacturers construct their engine optimallythe how upondepending weight, 10% to up save blockscan engine aluminum modern that given future, foreseeable the in solved be will problem this confi that is dent he However, anymore.” mm 4 through way the all aluminum the getdon’t often you then severalplaces.And in fl place paths to ow necessary it’s walls, thin “In order to cast the entire engine block with such been explains: expert casting yet universally realized.The not however, have, thicknesses wall These art. the mastered has it that prove OEMs blocks that the company has produced for various castingprocesses.enginepressuredie highThe sophisticated in realized be already can mm 3.5 Without innovative plain bearings, it would be be would it bearings, plain innovative Without t Leon-Rot. St. However, this is not yet the end of the prover- the of end the yet not is this However, Automobile manufacturers are are manufacturers Automobile Innovative bearings for hybrid vehicle power trains for better performance Ever more compact e i hbi vhce wih i adto t an to addition in which, vehicles hybrid in ter ing on. work- currently is team Gleitlager KS the which materials, slide reaction-resistant and rosion- is cor- new He with work only will this viscosity. that convinced lower even with biofuels and oil handle to need furthermore would bearings These capacity. load-bearing mechanical high invariably with types construction smaller even through example, for – manufacturers bearing plain for looming challenges new Damm sees Dr. thus consumption. fuel reduced further three-cylinder on for drives that even maximum performance offer feverishly working already are manufacturers Vehicle unabated. on tinues company. Leon-Rot-based St. the of Design andProduct Engineering plication perts from KSPG already have the necessary necessary the pat. down process have casting already KSPG from perts ex- aluminum the case, any In shocktowers. or subframes in – large for example, weight saving for potential offers also aluminum that certain is Klimesch Dr. But compositions. steel or iron are out still of manufactured predominantly cast parts these that given components, structural and frame chassis on focused especially is tion atten- Its opening up areas. additional business of company isthe inprocess But the block. gine on centered the en- Technologie especially were expert. casting the explains fuels,” alternative achieve in of terms as resistance compared with can process this what or surfaces, coating cylinder the by minimized be can losses frictional extent what to examining are we moment, the “At effects: additional even gain to hoping are experts the But dissipation. heat improves and kg. destortion cylinder 20 reduces also this Moreover, weighing block engine four-cylinder a for saved is weight of kilogram one means this signifi proves look all, closer a much, After cant. weight.” additional of ten do – then this will allow us to save about 5% of- of they as solutions’), ‘liner (so-called out iron cast not and – coating iron thin micrometer 150 approximately completely an plus aluminum of consist surfaces bore cylinder the “When convinced: is Klimesch Dr. coatings. propriate ihtc pan erns r as suh af- sought also are bearings plain High-tech con- downsizing engine so-called the so And Until recently, the activities of KS Aluminium- KS of activities the recently, Until like appear initially not may this Although deployed deployed in the Opel which Ampera, is expected being also is hp), (84 kW 63 deliver placement dis- engine l 1.4 and cylinders four whose gine, en- gasoline This 2010. of middle the since ket mar- the on been has which Volt, Chevrolet the of crankshaft engine the for bearings main the Gleitlager, supplies KS for example, board. Thus on engine have still a combustion drive, electric and beyond. tomorrow of automobiles the in products vative basicshown, research wellspringisthe inno- for emphasizedasDr.But, history Damm. has often we’re still only doing basic research in this area,” Butfurther.even friction whichthe candiminish might thus allow us to produce sharkskin effects, structures “Special material. surface the of etry micro-geom- the on focuses approach Another ago. years some unimaginablewas whichlayer, applied is layer overlay/running-inmetallican asbearinga onto polymer a example, for end, this To lubrication. and wear, in friction, of terms i.e., characteristics, tribological attainable un- previously offer that systems material slide minimize thesize of thegearbox itself. to help which thicknesses, wall thinner enable – previously used predominantlybearings roller the same time, plain bearings – in contrast to the that can withstand the resulting wear and tear. design At and materials with bearings plain require therefore These speeds.” sliding high very Beyond this, the company is working on novel on working is company the this, Beyond Dr. Thomas Oehlschlägel ber 2011. 2011. ber Novem- in sale on go to oeie rn with run sometimes axles and gear sets also weightas possible. And much as save to order in small extremely are vehicles these in used cause be- the transmissions challenge a special “It’s notes: Damm Dr. for As vehicles. hybrid systems bearing transmission towards effort increasing cating dedi- also is The company engines. for ings only bear- plain on not counting plain is bearings in specialized u te manufacturer the But Neckarsulm. Interest in electro- KSPG in motion: What exactly does Köhler: Yes, very much so. I think all mobility has risen in recent years – thermo-management include? suppliers will have to reassess their largely unaffected by the economic Köhler: Rather than just speak- position. Many will fi nd that it would crisis. “KSPG in motion” interviewed ing of cooling, it is better to refer to be wrong to adhere to their old prod- Prof. Dr. Eduard Köhler, responsible uct portfolios. We, too, will have to

Photo: Thomas Klink heating, cooling and conditioning. for “Electromobility” in the Research The different components associated gain access to this market, adopt a and Technology department of Kol- with electro-traction operate best at more prominent position, form con- benschmidt Pierburg Group about very different temperatures. The bat- cepts and show our competencies. future development trends in this tery feels most comfortable in a tem- This is the challenge we face in com- area – which will serve as a basis perature range between 20 and 35 °C ing years. for future planning at Kolbenschmidt while the power electronics may have KSPG in motion: What is your rec- Pierburg – and the conclusions to be a temperature limit as low as 60 or ommendation for Kolbenschmidt drawn from the optimistic outlook 70°C and can vary greatly depending Pierburg in this connection? for electrical drive systems. on the choice – or cost – of the com- Köhler: I defi nitely think the group KSPG in motion: Professor Köhler, ponents. The electric motor operates should be open to the idea, especial- do you think progress in connection at much higher temperatures. It fol- ly as electro-traction is likely to be- with electromobility will be fast or is lows, therefore, that the entire sys- come noticeable on our roads in the interest more likely to dwindle? tem is highly complicated and might longer term. The recent disaster in Ja- Köhler: Although there has been a need high, low temperature and cold pan has, however, also reminded us circuits. lot of hype recently, realistic technical of the problem of CO2 neutral power assessments by specialists actively KSPG in motion: Does this involve generation. Besides, we shouldn’t involved in electromobility indicate the question of comfort? forget the limited prerequisites and that in principle we are back down to Köhler: Very defi nitely. We are not capacities in many countries, includ- earth. This makes sense and doesn’t just talking of pure vehicle operation ing Germany, as far as regenerative mean that ambitious long-term tar- and the thermal resistance of compo- energy is concerned. Politicians and gets need to be modifi ed completely nents. It is also a question of what is energy suppliers face a huge chal- but that we simply have to face the often referred to as HVAC (heating, lenge. task on hand. Anybody interested in a ventilation and air conditioning), KSPG in motion: Have car makers challenge will see the chances on the that means supplying usual comfort- already established their position? horizon, also for his or her own job. able conditions for the driver. Fleet Köhler: It is evident that auto mak- KSPG in motion: There are probably trials have shown that expectations ers are offi cially and quite clearly in various transition phases on the way regarding HVAC have not been fully favour of electromobility. Their goal to electromobility? satisfi ed. In other words, this is one is to sell cars in the distant future, Köhler: I think one should view the of the main criticisms. One needs to too, even if these aren’t equipped situation from two diametrically op- be aware of the fact that under cer- with internal combustion engines. posed standpoints. On the one hand, tain ambient conditions HVAC has However much some of the manufac- we have partial electrifi cation or an to be provided fully electrically. If turers may be renowned for their en- increasing electrifi cation of the drive Outlining future prospects: Dr. Eduard Köhler, responsible for “Electromobility” electrical power is used for this pur- gines, they will not put their business unit. In this context, the internal com- in the Research and Technology department of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg Group. pose, this will be at the expense of at risk simply because they aren’t bustion engine is given an electrical the range which is limited anyway. So able to keep up with the times. Quite assistant, something that is not at all improvements are needed for HVAC the opposite: they will try to be in line dramatic; it helps to enhance engine in order to tailor the entire package with the state-of-the-art or preferably performance. I believe this approach of pure electric vehicles to the needs even help to shape the future. They Selling mileage like of the users. Since there are physical will continue and we will fi nd that will endeavour to market vehicles that electrical drives become more and limits to the process, unconventional meet consumer expectations. They more powerful. On the other hand, methods need to be investigated. It naturally also expect open-minded i.e. at the other end of the scale, elec- remains to be seen which opportuni- suppliers to support these changes. mobile top-ups ties and limits there are in terms of tromobility in form of battery-operat- I therefore highly recom- ed drive units is also on the horizon. available competencies and future mend that we should Prof. Dr. Eduard Köhler on electromobility commitments in this sector. In terms listen carefully to KSPG in motion: Does this already of electro-traction, the subject of apply fully to cars on our roads to- what our custom- thermo-management is much more ers want, watch day? tions where providers sell mileage in in which Kolbenschmidt Pierburg has far-reaching than in conventional where they Köhler: Today, pure electric vehi- the way top-ups for mobiles are sold extensive experience and compe- drive systems. will gain signifi cance. Urban areas tence. Is the group likely to increase cles really only exist as compact cars KSPG in motion: Besides the pump where such models are much easier its activities in this sector? in the A-segment. This is why elec- division, are other areas of KSPG in- to implement will naturally differ from tromobility will be introduced in city Köhler: Basically, yes. KSPG already volved in development activities as- rural areas where public transport is areas where cars don’t have to drive manufactures products that can be sociated with thermo-management? long distances, congestion charges becoming increasingly sparse. used for thermo-management direct- for inner cities can be avoided and KSPG in motion: Looking at the de- ly or are subject to certain battery powered cars are allowed to velopment of electric vehicles, which modifi cations. For pass zero emission zones that are ex- are the obvious weaknesses? instance, the pected to increase in future. Köhler: The battery with its rela- Pierburg KSPG in motion: Does this mean tively limited energy density, its high Pump the intended purpose of a vehicle weight and its high cost continues to will have a bigger infl uence on the be the weak spot when it comes to drive system in future? electromobility, while the battery world is actually divided in two. Köhler: Yes, it does. We need to get The cells come from the Far used to the idea that various drive East and the battery sys- concepts will exist in future. Pure tems are increas- battery powered vehicles may very ingly built here well be successful in the A-segment, because car possible also for longer distances, makers i.e. city and cross-country usage with have range-expander in the compact class. Larger cars might then be available as fully hybrid plug-in vehicles while diesel-driven cars still seem the best Drive systems option for long-haul applications. tailored to individual KSPG in motion: In other words, a usage patterns – the rather heterogeneous automobile journey is the reward, even world will exist? if not yet fully verifi able and

Köhler: I don’t think this poses a clear from today’s vantage point. shutterstockPhoto: problem. From a consumer’s point of view, this means individuals can choose the drive concept that best suits their needs. Köhler: are going and see whether we can KSPG in motion: Do you think elec- One of our join them on their path. tromobility will affect the principle projects 2011 fo- KSPG in motion: To which there are of “my car is my castle” in favour of cuses on the system under- limits. more fl exible utilization concepts. standing of thermo-management in the broader meaning of the term. Köhler: Of course. We can’t make Köhler: There are certain indications come Based on this, we then intend to iden- all sorts of changes and we shouldn’t that car makers and certain providers to realise that Technol- tify possibilities for further activities waste money on uncertain future con- are preparing themselves for changed they are ultimately ogy division is that will result in proposals for spe- cepts. Nonetheless, I think we should usage patterns. Besides, the habits responsible for the function already engaged in cifi c pre-development projects. Ulti- remain a strong partner of the auto of younger buyers are already quite of the battery systems. This includes hybrid activities. Ultimately, however, mately, we will have to show which industry in order to remain strong different. Priorities are changing and e.g. thermo-management and overall thermo-management – i.e. the entire approach KSPG could adopt with in areas where we already excel and individual mobility isn’t quite as im- battery management, temperature, fi eld of electro-traction with the trac- respect to electromobility in coming grow strong in areas where there are portant as it used to be. Other things voltage, current and charge condition tion motor, the battery, the power years. genuine opportunities. I am sure we like communication – in other words of the individual cells. At the end of electronics and the charge unit – is will also identify strategic products computers and smart phones – are the day, it is the car makers that have in the hands of our customers. Sys- KSPG in motion: Does this mean from which we could benefi t in future becoming more and more important to guarantee the function. tems competence on our part would that at this early stage the cards – if we really want to. We need to in- as status symbols. It is fair to assume KSPG in motion: You mentioned call for an entirely new approach and between suppliers and OEMs are al- vest into our future now, not only with that car-sharing models or other solu- thermo-management. This is an area new cooperation models. ready being reshuffl ed? money but fi rst of all with ideas.