Friday, March 29, 2024

Chinese e-bus wins 2021 Red Dot Award

The Yutong Xiaoyu 2.0 has been awarded the design prize 2021 Red Dot Award. Developed by the Chinese group, the 5.5-meter shuttle bus stands out for being the world’s first autonomous bus recognized by world-class industrial design award, as well as the only bus brand in China winning Red Dot Award.
Xiaoyu 2.0 is an autonomous public transport solution that inspires trust in passengers. In 2020, Yutong sales volume of large and medium-sized buses reached 41,756 units, among them 16,461 units are new energy buses. The bus producer reached sizable sales volume in over 30 countries and regions such as France, UK, Australia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Norway with a market share of over 35% in China and over 13% in the world.
In late November 2020 the producer secured the widest order so far for battery electric buses in the world: 741 e-buses are set to be running in Qatar by 2022 in view of the FIFA World Cup Qatar. They will be deployed by Mowasalat, which ordered in total 1,002 vehicles from Yutong.
The design of the bus has been inspired by spacecraft, precisely by space capsule. The symmetrical design from the front and back has the goal of promoting strong visual identification. Engineering and aesthetic factors are smartly reconciled by excessive size porthole and the mapping of laser radar and lens.

Zeiss and Volkswagen: new measuring solution for hairpin stators

It is used for the brand’s ID.3 electric vehicle, among the first vehicles to be designed purely as an electric car. We are talking about new measuring solution for hairpin stators developed by Zeiss and VW.
The hairpins in the stator of the new electric drive, made from coated copper, replace the traditional copper wire coil.
«This approach – explains Philip Kurz, responsible for engine planning and testing at VW – enables high-volume series production, and it also means the engine has more power, while being significantly lighter. However, there remains the challenge of quality assurance because the physical properties of the hairpins push the boundaries of the measuring methods traditionally used in engine construction».
This is why over the past year Zeiss has been working with VW to develop a measuring solution that enables the automaker to manufacture electric cars in large-scale series production.
«Copper is easily deformed, that is why we cannot use tactile methods. Also, it is shiny and semi-transparent, which makes it difficult for optical sensors to detect” – are the words of Pascal Schmidt, part of the quality assurance team.

More comfortable yachts with electric fins

Adding a new category of fin stabilizers to its marine equipment range, SKF promises a quieter, more comfortable onboard experience, along with cost-saving and environmental advantages. Spotlights are cast on the powerful, compact non-retractable SKF EFZ type fin stabilizers, designed for luxury yachts measuring 55 metres or longer. They feature a high-torque electric motor that meets the highly dynamic demands of stabilization, whether the vessel is at anchor (zero speed) or under way.
Christopher Schnäckel, Director Fin Stabilizer and Steering Gear, SKF, summarises the significance of this development. “While most fin stabilizers are operated electro-hydraulically, especially on larger yachts, the EFZ system has no hydraulic unit. As a result, its operation is virtually silent. It is also more compact, easier to install and has lower ongoing maintenance and related costs. ”The system takes up less space and has great flexibility for use with the onboard direct or alternating current electrics. Energy consumption is lower, as there are no wasteful conversions between electrical, hydraulic and mechanical devices, which is beneficial both economically and environmentally. The key components of an SKF EFZ fin stabilizer package are its motor, gear unit, fin shaft and mounting unit, together with the fin itself, in sizes ranging up to 12 square metres. The 360-degree constant high torque electrical actuator offers unlimited working angles. Other features include a high-precision SKF bearing system and a VGP (Vessel General Permit) compliant sealing system, which guards against pollution.

Power electronics: Renault strategic partnership

Power electronics systems of electric and hybrid vehicles will reduce power losses and will improve efficiency, with the consequent great impact on electric vehicles’ autonomy and recharge. The following step? Decrease of batteries’ cost, increase in mileages per recharge and less time of recharge and cost for users.
In their new strategic synergy, Renault Groups– which intend to reach 100% of vehicles by 2030 – and STMicroelectronics will collaborate in the development of efficient, customized and modular components, starting from the understanding of Renault Group’s technical requirements concerning silicon carbide (SiC) devices, gallium nitride (GaN) transistors, with relative packages and modules.
«We are pleased – stated Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group – to collaborate with the market leader STMicroelectronics to integrate its advanced power electronics and to develop jointly technologies that can improve the energy capacity of our electric and hybrid vehicles’ batteries and their performance, both on the road and in recharge phase. This partnership assures the future provisioning of key components that will share in the significant 45% reduction of energy losses and in decreasing the cost of the electric powertrain by 30%. This technological collaboration will support us in implementing our ambitious target of democratizing electric vehicles making them, at the same time, affordable and profitable».
The witness of STMicroelectronics, in the person of its President and General Director, Jean-Marc Chéry, is as enthusiastic: «ST is in the forefront in the development of advanced power semiconductors that allow the mobility industry to shift to electrified platforms. Thanks to more energy-efficient products and solutions, based on forefront materials such as the silicon carbide and gallium nitride, we will support Renault strategy dedicated to the next generation of electric and hybrid platforms».

Elica: less “cooking” and more electric motors

Fime is called the motor business unit of Elica Group, operating in the sector of hoods and hobs. Its growth is extremely significant to understand the direction of the electric motor market. In fact, through the preliminary agreement signed between Elica Spa and Electric Motors Company (EMC) and CPS for the purchase of 100% of the share capital of respective companies, Fime has heavily strengthened its presence on the market. EMC and CPS are companies operating on a European scale in the design and production of electric motors, suction systems of household hoods, fans for pellet stoves and medical application motors.
It is an agreement in the development course of Motor business (Fime), through the strengthening of the strategy undertaken with the separation of the Motor division from the Cooking one.
“The takeover of EMC and CPS – explained Luca Barboni, Managing Director of Fime – will generate a significant critical mass that will allow us to have the necessary resources, competences and R&D initiatives to face the European challenges in the matter of energy saving in household appliances and energy transition».

Is an electric air-taxi about to become reality?

It can reach speeds of 320 nodes (593 km/h) and fly up to 500 nautical miles (926 kilometres) with a single battery charge, plus 45 minutes of IFR reserve.
We are speaking of eFlyer 800, the fully electric aircraft by Bye Aerospace, which can host up to 7 passengers and two pilots.
The French Safran Group is collaborating in the development of the eFlyer 800, for both the propulsion system with its “ENGINeUS” motors and for the “GENeUSGRID” energy management system.
At present, we just know the electric craft will be equipped with two motors and it could be able to fly up to 35,000 feet, the equivalent of 10.6 kilometres.
It seems that Quantum Air is planning an air taxi service precisely with these aircrafts.
«The eFlyer 800 – explains George E. Bye, founder and Ceo of the company – is the first all-electric propulsion technology airplane that achieves twin-turboprop performance and safety with no CO2 and extremely low operating costs. This type of remarkable economy and performance is made possible by the electric propulsion system and advanced battery cell technology that results in significantly higher energy densities».

Anfia Next Mobility Hackathon: the winner is the public transport of the future

The first edition of the contest ANFIA Next Mobility Hackathon has ended, organized by Components and Car Coachbuilders-Designers Group of ANFIA to give room to the ideas and to the talent of Italian schools’ and Universities’ students in the vision of the mobility of the future.
The Committee of Technical-Scientific Assessment (Comitato di Valutazione Tecnico Scientifica – Cvts) introduced six projects in the range of the selected finalists and the contest was won by Niccolò Casagrande, twenty-one years old student from Iaad in Turin, with a sustainable project for the public transport: Mt_T.
It is modular double-decker tram, designed for the city of Turin as evolution of the so-called light subway. Inspired by Covid-19 emergency, the project aims at a more controlled conditioning due to the downsizing of the cabin and to an attentive development of the vehicle interior space.
«The car and the whole world of means of transport are the focus of radical reviews, in the name of the environmental sustainability and the adoption of new technologies. Design and engineering are the tools to imagine the mobility of the future. With the zero edition of Anfia Next Mobility Hackathon – states Silvio Angori, President of Anfia Components and Car Coachbuilders-Designers Group we intended to establish a channel of direct communication and renewed collaboration with schools and universities and, especially, with the students interested in giving their innovative contribution to the automotive industry».

The risks of the restrictions to steel imports

Clepa – the European Association of Automotive Suppliers fears that the European Commission’s proposal of extending the protection measure that limits steel imports in the EU damages automotive suppliers’ competitiveness and endangers workplaces.
Automotive suppliers, in fact, buy the vast majority of their steel inside the EU and prevailingly import a steel grade for which the European capacity is not enough.
All this with a relevant background: the European automotive industry is responsible for 19% of EU’s iron and steel industry demand.
Automotive suppliers directly employ 1.7 million people across the EU, on top of the 1.2 million people employed in the manufacturing and assembly of vehicle bodies and vehicles. Therefore, continuing protection measures in a time when steelworks are struggling to satisfy the demand and steel prices have reached record levels will necessarily have a negative impact on steel working industries, like automotive.
Clepa’s Secretary General Sigrid de Vries, commented: «Automotive suppliers typically only source steel outside of the EU in cases where there is no sufficient EU production capacity to satisfy the demand for specialised steel. This means that the continuation of the safeguard instrument with only minimal expansion of relevant quota does not serve the interest of the EU economy as a whole and comes at a time where suppliers are struggling to source sufficient volumes of steel in time».

An electric ship in Rotterdam port

The international research project Magpie, which stands for “sMArt Green Ports as Integrated Efficient multimodal hubs” is aimed at developing an autonomous-guided zero-emission ship intended for the transport of goods on inland waterways, a sort of “shuttle” for the transport of containers inside the port, among terminals. This ambitious programme, which has benefitted from a funding of 25 million Euros by the European Union, was promoted by Rotterdam port with the goal of moving the flows of containers headed inland from the road to waterways, using automated zero-emission ships, equipped with electric motors and powered by quickly interchangeable batteries that will use energy coming from renewable sources.
Other port authorities collaborate in the project, such as the German DeltaPort, the French Hapota and the Portuguese Sines, in synergy with ten research institutes, thirty enterprises from The Netherlands, France, Germany, Portugal and Denmark, including the head company Wärtsilä, Finnish enterprise mainly specialized in the manufacturing of propulsion systems and energy generation for marine use and electric power plants.
Wärtsilä manages the sub-project entrusted with the task of implementing an autonomous-guided ship for the transport of containers. Some technologies already developed by the company itself will be applied to succeed in it, like SmartMove Suite able to integrate sensors with navigation systems. It is not the first time that the company headquartered in Helsinki experiments autonomous-guided solutions by busy waterways, one of the outstanding projects concerns in fact Singapore port.

EV/HEV motors potting with high performance resin systems

The resin is a perfect electrical insulator and it gives properties absolutely incomparable to other insulating methods: enhanced water and dust resistance, chemical resistance, less vibrations, less noise but most of all a perfect heat dissipation and improved thermal shocks resistance.
The resin encapsulation of electrical traction motors will be explored by Demak presenting sophisticated dispensing solutions and innovative Epoxy Resin Systems.

DEMAK WEBINAR | EV/HEV motors potting with high performance resin systems
June 23, 02:00 PM in Rome

JOIN THE WEBINAR

Thanks to the experience gained during these last years, many advantages of a full encapsulation compared to other technologies, such as impregnation and trickling, will be presented.