Whether the voltage is 110 or 230 volts and the frequency 50 or 60 Hertz, at the Audi Technical Development centre in Ingolstadt, electric vehicles can now be charged as if they were in China, the USA or many other countries around the world. The test results have a direct impact on vehicle research and development, Audi said.
The electric charging test centre of the Technical Development division features charging stations from various manufacturers from several countries. A network simulator allows charging stations from non-EU countries to be operated with the required voltage and network configuration. This allows Audi to conduct field tests that replicate the conditions that exist in numerous sales regions around the world.
The power grid simulation unit was developed by Bosch Rexroth in collaboration with Schmidbaur and the 500 kW simulator can deliver voltages from 100 to 540 volts and frequencies from 40 to 65 Hertz. It supports single-phase, two-phase and three-phase networks, as well as split-phase operation.
If a device is designed for 120 Volts and 60 Hertz, as is common in North America, it cannot work with 230 Volts and 50 Hertz, which are standard in Europe. "With the grid simulator, we can test whether our models can be successfully charged at charging stations in the US or China, for example," explained project manager Daniel Ettinger.
This endeavour saves time and money, as it reduces the need for extensive testing abroad. At the same time, customers benefit from a charging experience customised for local conditions.
Source: Audi