High-Voltage Current and Voltage Measurement

Testing Charging Processes - Increasing Acceptance of Electric Vehicles

Being able to charge e-vehicles worldwide is an important goal in the development and improvement of components involved in charging processes. National differences in power grids as well as individual characteristics of the charging devices are the main challenges. During the prototype development of a new e-car with a modified on-board charger (OBC), international charging processes and their repercussions on the power grids had to be investigated in detail using measurement technology. In particular, the HV Breakout Module (HV BM) 3.1 OBC from CSM was used for this purpose.

Testing the interoperability of on-board chargers and AC charging stations

AC charging stations are standard for everyday charging of EV batteries. In order for electric vehicles to remain attractive to end users, AC charging must work easily worldwide. An on-board charger (OBC), for converting the charging alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC), is therefore an indispensable vehicle component. Vehicle manufacturers validate newly developed OBCs with interoperability tests before series production. However, the charging stations are also a source of errors that must be checked, as they play a key role in the overall quality of the charging process. With the HV Breakout Module (HV BM) 3.1 OBC from CSM, these charging processes can be examined with regard to applicable standards and country-specific characteristics.

High-Voltage Current and Voltage Measurement in Confined Spaces

In the high-voltage electrical system of electric vehicles, high-frequency currents and voltages are measured during test drives. The space required for installing the necessary measurement technology can be very limited due to tightly installed components and cable ducts. This application example shows how currents and voltages can nevertheless be measured with high sampling rates, HV-safe and protected from environmental influences.

Fuel Cell-electric Drive Functional Test

Fuel cell-powered vehicles are a complement to pure battery electric-powered vehicles in electromobility. An electrochemical reactor is used to generate electrical energy that is available for the drive and other vehicle systems. The interaction of this reactor in the fuel cell stack with the other components in the powertrain is tested on test benches. In this example, you will learn how the necessary measurements are carried out simply and synchronously.

Measuring Shield Current of High-Voltage Cables in Electric Vehicles

The high-voltage cables of the high-voltage vehicle electrical systems in modern electric vehicles are exposed to strong current and voltage ripples, which induce currents in the braided shields. If these shield currents exceed the capacity of the braided shield, cable fires and damage to connected accessories are the result. To ensure the safety of the system, extensive measurements of the shield currents are necessary.

Verification of High-Voltage Electrical Systems

The high-voltage electrical system in electric and hybrid vehicles is validated at all stages of development and extensively tested for series production release. CSM HV Breakout Modules are particularly suitable for these validation and acceptance measurements in accordance with the ISO 21498-1 and -2 standard because they can be used directly in the HV cables of the vehicle electrical system.