Aeristech, has entered into technical and commercial validation activities with two separate major Tier One suppliers to further develop its 48v eSupercharger. The commitment has been made following successful durability and performance testing at the company’s recently uprated test facility in the UK.
“We describe our eSupercharger as a ‘next generation’ product because it is the first to deliver continuous high level boost, unlike other systems reaching the market now which are limited to intermittent operation,” explained Aeristech chief technical officer Bryn Richards. “This allows vehicle manufacturers to simplify their boosting systems and to fully optimise the mechanical turbocharger for power or efficiency without the detriment of lag. Our Tier One partners have recognised this advantage and the ways it can be used to improve powertrain efficiency.”
The prototype unit completed over 400 hours of back-to-back testing, amounting to several thousand cycles of a wide selection of operating modes. This ranged from short-bursts of high-power and maximum speed to continuous power outputs for extended periods. All of which the eSupercharger endured without a single fault. Having demonstrated the capability and robustness of the technology, the next stage is to install the system on an evaluation vehicle.
The test program was conducted within Aeristech’s in-house facility, recently upgraded to provide two adjacent, self-contained test cells, each capable of 24 hour, seven day operation.
Aeristech achieved continuous boosting by overcoming the thermal management issues that typically restrict other electric boosting devices. The company uses permanent magnet motor technology in place of the more usual switched reluctance type. This has been made cost-effective by developing a patented control and switching technology that enables the use of many cost-competitive components.
