Greentech Lead America: Visteon Corporation, a global
automotive supplier, recently launched products for effective thermal
management on a number of new electric and hybrid vehicles.
Some of the products announced by the company include
battery contact heat exchangers and battery chillers, which are designed to
maintain battery temperatures within tight ranges specified by automakers. This
allows for optimal function, extends the life of the battery packs and helps
improve fuel economy.
“With the automotive industry and government
considering various regulations and guidelines pertaining to fuel economy and
vehicle electrification, we believe it’s important to offer flexible solutions
to meet our customers’ needs now and in the future,” said Brigit Anthony,
global chief engineer, heat exchangers and engineering services.
The technology uses coolant-based contact heat exchangers
and refrigerant-based battery cooling and heating approach. In both systems,
Visteon’s battery contact heat exchanger is connected with the air conditioning
system to reject heat from the battery into the coolant or refrigerant,
depending on the vehicle. This helps improve battery performance and prevent
premature aging of cells.
Visteon engineers and manufactures components for both
battery thermal management architectures in Europe.
Visteon also offers climate product portfolio featuring
other prominent “green” technologies. These include electric
compressors that are in production with two different auto manufacturers, a heat
pump system, and a “leak free” metal seal fitting.