Future Propulsion Conference Takeaways

Our Solution Leader - Propulsion & Electromobility, Tom Moakes takes us through his key takeaways from the 2024 Future Propulsion Conference...

Whilst the overarching message was clear at this year’s event – all solutions must be considered for achieving net-zero vehicle propulsion systems – there were also some key insights to takeaway:

Hydrogen: Fuel Cell Or ICE?

It’s no surprise that the Hydrogen topic was well covered at this year’s FPC. From fuel cells to internal combustion engines (ICE), and infrastructure challenges, Hydrogen is increasingly viewed as having significant potential to contribute to the propulsion energy transition, where it will likely have far more significant demands in the heavy-duty and off-highway sectors, where energy & power density are critical.

Interesting comparisons were drawn against fuel cells and ICE, particularly for heavy-duty applications, where impressive advancements in H2 ICE are now demonstrating near 50% thermal efficiency – on par with PEM fuel cells at low loads.

Fuels Of The Future:

E-fuels, Hydrogen, Ammonia, or other zero-carbon fuels – which will prevail in sectors which are difficult to electrify? This year’s FPC saw a renewed focus on advancements in internal combustion technology, and whilst passenger cars are well down the road to battery electrification, the industry recognises that some applications will still need an ICE in years to come.

Importantly, where ICE technology will still be used, the resulting tailpipe pollutant emissions must continue to be well controlled in all conditions, or even considered ‘zero-impact’, and throughout the useful life of the vehicle. Toolsets such as Hardware and Software in the Loop (HiL/ SiL), will be increasingly important (not only in propulsion system calibration) to front-load development cycles and reduce the number of physical prototypes.

Battery Performance And Safety:

Battery performance monitoring, and specifically the performance throughout the lifetime of the vehicle, is becoming increasingly scrutinised – not least due to the upcoming minimum performance requirements for battery durability, with provisions already outlined in UNECE GTR 22 expected to enter into force as part of the Euro 7 standards. Predictive simulation modelling and ‘virtual’ ageing techniques are becoming more critical in ensuring these minimum performance standards, for example; vehicle batteries retaining 70% state of health (SoH) after 5-8 years, which must be measurable via the on-board monitors and can be independently verified through physical testing.

Advancements in battery monitoring must also be made in regards to safety – particularly in thermal runaway detection and mitigation, where although there are already defined detection thresholds and minimum duration requirements for occupant warnings, it is still debated whether thermal propagation should be avoided altogether through further advancements in pack design.

Supply Chain Opportunities For The UK Automotive Industry:

This year’s event included an increased focus on manufacturing & supply chain opportunities. The APC presented findings from their report on building a net-zero supply chain, which highlighted a significant opportunity for the UK to grow its manufacturing capabilities for clean technologies. Linked to this, the UK battery manufacturing situation came into the spotlight, with mixed views on whether the forecasted battery production capacity will meet the required demands for the UK supply chain, even with recent announcements on the UK giga-factories and investment into the UK battery industrialisation centre (UKBIC).

With impending regulatory changes on rules of material origin & minimum recycled content, there will be an increasing focus on the battery supply chain and life cycle analysis.

What were your takeaways?

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