It is concern regarding electric car models experiencing excessive loss of range during winter that has led to Audi introducing an intelligent thermal management system for their vehicles. The intention behind this move made by the brand was to protect car batteries by ensuring longer shelf life. Here is MWTV presenting this article explaining how this luxury automobile manufacturer possessing a four rings motto, seeks to effectively deal with safeguarding their models during the harsh winter season.  

 The Audi Thermal Management system and its basic mechanism: 

The performance of the high voltage battery of an electric car depends on factors such as charge levels and temperature. So, the colder the temperature, the lesser power the battery generates. The battery’s electric internal resistance increases at lower temperatures while usable capacity decreases. Audi has introduced a thermal management system that protects the battery by generating less amperage at a lower temperature to avoid these issues. In addition, the technology also can absorb wastage of heat from components in the vehicle such as power electronics, drive system, and charger. 

The Audi Thermal Management and its impact on charging at low temperatures: 

At lower temperatures charging an electric car does take a longer time. For this reason, the battery has to be heated while charging. The Audi Thermal Management system ensures then that battery is not overloaded with power while it is charging. It means that the thermal technology enables the battery of the electrified vehicle to draw electricity from the charging point that it needs to heat up and be charged.   

Distribution of heat flow in the Audi Thermal Management system: 

The Audi Thermal Management system is mainly responsible for efficiently distributing heat flow between the drive system, high-voltage battery, and the interior. It helps in converting energy generated from the powertrain or surrounding air. The use of air in the surroundings as an energy source is a relatively new concept. The Audi thermal management system helps balance out the declining waste heat produced by the powertrain. In this way, two independent systems are available to heat the interior and a high-voltage battery. 

Regulation of battery and interior temperature by the Audi Thermal Management: 

The Audi Thermal Management system ensures that the electric batteries receive sufficient heat even when low temperatures. It helps do so by integrating additional high voltage heaters. It ensures an ideal battery temperature of about 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. In addition, there is a second electric heater available in this thermal management technology package for especially cold northern countries.  

The concept of preconditioning in the Audi Thermal Management system: 

‘Preconditioning’ is a concept that is an integral component of the Audi Thermal Management system. It has a positive effect on both battery and the interior. This innovation helps make the precise connection of departure time with the charging and departure timer in the automobile. In other words, this automatic charging process enables the battery to get to a preset level and a temperature close to a departure time. In this manner, the loss of range is also reduced significantly by the heating of the battery. This preconditioning concept also helps regulate the vehicle interior temperature at the desired level before departure.   

Audi Thermal Management system and its ability to reduce range loss uniquely: 

The heat pump in the Audi Thermal management system functions like a refrigerator but in reverse. The more heat waste available, the more efficiently the pump works. In other words, it can produce up to three kilowatts of heat output from one kilowatt of electrical energy. This technology proves to be extremely effective in the winter since it does not have a thermoelectric heating element. Yet another unique feature of the heat pump in this thermal management system is that it can attain a much higher range than conventional heating.  

So, with the introduction of an intelligent thermal system brand, Audi is all set to provide cars with batteries having a long shelf life, which provides outstanding performance and range.