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OEMs operating in both the Commercial and Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) space have been working on developing electric powertrains for future adoption in their vehicles. Today we are seeing this come to market, here are some recent examples I have come across:
Source: JCB
These companies are all looking to develop and improve their electric power trains to improve performance, reliability and most importantly - reduce cost. There are 4 systems that are critical to the functionality; Inverter / Converters, Battery Modules & Packs, Embedded Processors, and E-Motors. Each of these systems play their part in the overall performance and efficiency of the vehicle and are all heavily reliant on effective thermal management.
The rapid adoption of Silicone Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) power electronics due to their smaller size and higher efficiency is creating significantly more challenging thermal problems for engineers - air is no longer an option. Therefore engineers have trended towards liquid cooling, in particular water-glycol or oil cooling as it is most familiar from its use in ICE vehicles.
Two-phase cooling offers something different. Firstly the ability to passively cool devices is a welcome benefit, not only for sustainability but more for the fact it will save energy for traction - the most critical use for the stored electricity. Secondly as two-phase is using vaporization to dissipate and transport the heat, the thermodynamics mean much higher heat fluxes can be managed effectively without overheating - a critical challenge with these latest components. Combining these benefits saves you having to pump oil/water at high pressure through a small cold plate.
Self-driving and automation is widespread within the OHV and agriculture markets, and will no doubt be here soon for goods vehicles too. To achieve this, data-centre level computer processors must be embedded inside vehicles - this is not so easy given the vibrations, dust and lack of air-conditioned airflow (like in a data centre).
Again, like for power electronics, two-phase offers two clear benefits:
Adopting more powerful cooling systems can increase the computing power inside the vehicle enabling more features for end-users - your software engineering colleagues will be pleased for the extra resource.
With the demand for lower cost and longer range combined with advancements in cell manufacturing have resulted in an increase in energy density per cell. In simple terms, increased energy density results in increased thermal dissipation under charge or discharge. If you then want to fast charge or discharge your pack you start to run into trouble.
Cooling the cells requires close contact between the cooling system and the cell surface in order to extract heat effectively. It is difficult to embed water cold plates inside modules and packs covering more than one or two sides of a cell (top/bottom). Two-phase cooling using heat pipes - but not the traditional copper-water tubes found in your laptop - instead lightweight aluminum designs with flat form factors can be utilized effectively to double the surface area in contact with cells, drastically increasing thermal performance and therefore reducing charging time.
This does not involve a revolutionary redesign like immersion, instead it uses the existing water cold plate and simply boosts the performance of it, by providing cooling to more surface area of each cell - passively.
Calyos philosophy for implementing MCHPs inside a battery module.
I have added this one as a bonus application. Today there is ongoing research into methods for cooling E-Motors using two-phase cooling, but today nothing is mature beyond an early prototype.
However this does not mean there is not an opportunity here. We have worked on several R&D projects in this space utilizing both manifold and pulsating heat pipe designs to extract heat from stator/rotors. It’s exciting to see the opportunity here and as a group of innovators I am fascinated to see what my colleagues come up with next.
Calyos E-Motor concept design with embedded manifold heat pipe system.
A key benefit of two-phase technology is to transport the heat to a larger surface of exchange (much larger than the surface of the component you are trying to cool). This is even more advantageous in larger vehicles where there is more space to dissipate heat into ambient air or into the chassis of the vehicle, potentially resulting in a cooling system that is 100% passive.
Two-phase cooling is still at the beginning of its journey for non-space applications and it will require innovators in the space to adopt such new technologies, but they will be the ones to reap the rewards of such technology, before it becomes mainstream.
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Who We Are
Calyos is a leader in the design and manufacture of two-phase thermal management systems. Building on our heritage from Euro Heat Pipes (EHP) and their space technology expertise, we specialize in innovative cooling solutions that tackle the thermal challenges of tomorrow.
What We Do
We engineer advanced cooling technologies, including loop heat pipes, micro-channel heat pipes, and pulsating heat pipes, to optimize thermal performance across a variety of applications. Typically these include: power electronics, processors, and batteries, but we don't stop there we are continuing to develop and produce fully customizable solutions for other specific needs, for example e-motors and fuel cells.
Where We Operate
Calyos is headquartered in Charleroi, Belgium, where our engineering and production teams work side by side in a state-of-the-art facility. From this base, we serve a global clientele, providing our cutting-edge solutions across North America, Asia, Europe, and South America.
When We Started
Calyos was incorporated in 2014 as a spin-off from Euro Heat Pipes (EHP), which was established in 2001 and has become a major player in the European satellite market. Since then, Calyos has been adapting and evolving EHP's space-grade cooling technologies for terrestrial applications.
Why We Matter
Our mission is to lead the industry towards adopting the most effective and sustainable thermal management solutions. We aim to address the most pressing thermal challenges in the data-driven and electrified environments of today, leveraging passive cooling technologies to achieve superior efficiency and environmental stewardship.
How We Succeed
Our success is driven by our commitment to four core values:
1. Applied Knowledge - Transforming deep technical expertise into market-ready solutions.
2. Better Together - Emphasizing collaboration with all stakeholders to enhance our collective success.
3. Inherent Flexibility - Adapting our solutions and practices to keep pace with evolving market demands.
4. Continuous Research - Persistently innovating to maintain our leadership in thermal technology.
Ben Sutton
Marketing & Business Development Manager
