Intelligent power management company Eaton continues to expand its electrified vehicle capabilities and resources in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) with the recent announcements of two grants from the Czech Republic.
The grants will fund participation in two innovative mobility projects, including assisting in the design and development of an electrified off-road truck and to develop and demonstrate a new power distribution unit (PDU) and DC/DC converter (200 kW) for hydrogen fuel cell powered trucks.
One of the grants from the Czech Republic is to participate in a joint program with Tatra Trucks, a leading Czech truck manufacturer for both military and commercial applications, to produce a specialized off-road electrified truck, a prototype called the Battery Electric Tatra Truck with multi-speed Transmission (BETTT). Eaton’s contribution to the endeavor will be the integration of its power distribution unit (PDU) and award winning 4-speed transmission for medium- and heavy-duty electrified vehicles (EVs).
The 4-speed EV transmission, a part of Eaton’s eMobility portfolio of electrified vehicle components, solves the primary issue related to single-speed drives: contradictory requirements for high efficiency at top speeds and increased torque at launch and low speeds. It also promotes a more complete brake energy regeneration that reduces total energy consumption and battery needs.
Eaton’s PDUs connect the main battery power to the rest of the vehicle, similar to how a home service panel connects the main power source to each of the branch circuits in the house. While distributing power through the vehicle, the PDU, also known as junction boxes, or fuse boxes, also provides a safety function, protecting passengers and the vehicle’s expensive power electronics from short circuits and other electrical system faults.
Eaton’s second grant is from the Czech government program DEFACTo (Definition and Demonstration of Fuel Cell BoP and DC/DC components) for a three-year program to develop and demonstrate a new PDU and DC/DC converter (200 kW) for hydrogen fuel cell powered trucks. In addition, an internal test bench with a fuel cell system (50 kW) will be set up at the Eaton European Innovation Center (EEIC) to expand and accelerate the company’s capabilities and developments in the field of hydrogen.
To complete this project, Eaton is establishing a hydrogen fuel cell lab at its European Innovation Center in Prague to test fuel cell components, including air and hydrogen control systems, as well as working to integrate a fuel cell in a simulated vehicle or building.
