Modular and Swappable 48V Battery Systems for Emerging Markets 2019-26-0032

Electrification globally shows promise in reducing greenhouse and noxious emissions. Although there is immense potential in such technologies penetrating across vehicle segments in the Indian market, the key lies in offering scalable, cost effective battery solutions suiting the diverse product and customer needs. This paper describes the development and possible applications of a low voltage battery system that fulfills the current needs on the Indian market. Based on real-world driving profiles the energy and power output required for the target platform are determined. Keeping in mind the Indian operating conditions, safety requirements, driving behavior, charging infrastructure, operational costs, supplier network and serviceability, technical requirements for such systems are described. Also, benchmarking data of current battery systems help to optimize the mechanical, thermal, and electrical layouts. Along with the energy storage unit, a thermal system which can accommodate both passive and active cooling for both low and high-power use-cases is proposed, which further increases flexibility. The result is a modular 48V battery system which is swappable and stackable in design to target a wide range of vehicles from two-wheelers to passenger cars without compromising on quality, efficiency, and costs. This minimizes the challenges faced in the techno-commercials of a battery system. Finally, this 48V system is applied in three different scenarios, each with a different configuration. This describes a possible utilization in the cost-effective market environment and gives an outlook on possible future full electric powertrain layouts.