Source: Continental announcement
Toulouse, France — Technology company Continental is expanding its sensor portfolio for the fast-growing electric car market with the unveiling of a new innovative sensor.
The high-speed inductive e-motor Rotor Position Sensor (eRPS) detects the exact position of the rotor in a synchronous electric machine, which helps to increase efficiency and enables smoother operations.
Though the traction motor of an electric or hybrid vehicle is a prominent use case, there are many more synchronous motors in electrified vehicles. Future dry-brake systems (without hydraulics), for instance, will also be actuated electrically and will require rotation sensors.
When developing the eRPS, Continental took on existing knowledge and experience with inductive technology. For example, the brake-by-wire system MK C2 uses an Inductive Motor Position Sensor and has been a benchmark for the sensing concept development with increased speed and accuracy, as is the case with the eRPS.
Compared to existing resolver sensors, the eRPS is more compact and 40 percent lighter in weight. Existing solutions for rotation measurement are often based on the resolver principle (a rotary electrical transformer), which is complicated and needs to be adapted to each type of synchronous motors specifically.
The eRPS, however, is a standardized component for every motor regardless of the number of pole pairs. It is easy to carry over this new sensor from one motor to another, making it an attractive option for electric cars. The start of production is planned for the end of 2025.
“The growth in vehicle electrification translates into more synchronous motors in the car. This ranges from big and powerful ones like traction motors to smaller ones like electric pumps. Our standardized eRPS technology has a wide range of potential applications in electric vehicles,” said Laurent Fabre, head of the Passive Safety and Sensorics Segment at Continental. “Measurement precision, compact dimensions and the all-in-one sensor concept combining several functions add to a high level of integration in the car. Continental is one of the leaders in the supply of engine position sensors today. With the launch of the eRPS, we are now well positioned to be one of the leading suppliers for electric motor position sensors, too.”
To view the entire announcement, click HERE.
