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Inductive sensors zeroing in on electric motors

Olivier Brunel, E-Mobility & Strategic Development Market Manager, explains how inductive sensors are gaining ground in the electric motor market. To prove it, the contract signed with Volkswagen in 2018 is scaling up rapidly!

EFI Automotive develops accurate, lightweight, energy-saving and easy-to-integrate position sensors for hybrid and electric vehicles. Based on inductive technology, they are starting to make inroads into the market share held by the resolver, which has up until now been the benchmark. The first contract was signed in 2018 with VW, followed by others in China and Europe.

The position sensor plays a key role in electric motors: it locates the rotor magnets and is therefore able to finely adjust the stator magnetic field. The more accurate it is, the greater the efficiency and the more a vehicle can cover the miles without losing battery charge. “It is difficult to ignore,” notes Olivier Brunel, E-mobility & Strategic Development Market Manager. “Of course, there are also position controls that use algorithms, and so not position sensors, for example in fans. But these are not accurate enough for the automotive industry, which aims to maximize drivetrain efficiency improvements.”

EFI Automotive: conducting inductive sensor R&D since 2011

Today, the position sensor market is dominated by resolver technology, a type of rotary transformer that measures the angular position of the shaft. Although its precision is highly regarded, it suffers from one drawback: it has to cover the whole area of the rotor, due to its ring shape, and must be fitted very close to the motor. If there is a failure, it all needs to be dismantled!

In 2011, these limitations led EFI Automotive to launch an inductive sensor R&D program. “It was a gamble: it is always hard to move away from an established solution. But we knew that this technology had its advantages. It is more compact, is suitable for all motors and can be fitted away from the motor, which facilitates maintenance. This selling point was very important to VW, our biggest client.”

The main components of an inductive sensor are its coils. Having picked up a high-frequency current, a transmitter coil emits a variable magnetic field right through the coil. Any nearby metallic object therefore takes on the induced current and in return, emits a magnetic field, which is picked up by the receiver coils. This reaction is proportional to the sensor-object distance; the position of the aforementioned object is deduced from this.

Excellent operating reliability

The inductive sensor is smaller than the resolver: for VW, it is semicircular. It consumes around six times less energy. It can withstand electromagnetic disturbances, which are very strong in an electric motor whose coils receive a frequency of several kHz. It measures the shaft position to within 0.3%, despite it starting at 20,000 revolutions per minute.

It delivers excellent operating reliability: EFI Automotive products comply with ASIL D as defined by the ISO 26262 standard. “The manufacturers are so sensitive to this area that some of them even provide a second sensor in addition to the first,” notes Olivier Brunel.

However, it is when it comes to integration flexibility that the inductive sensor really makes a difference. Remember that an electric motor is a very confined space. Moreover, the ring shape of the resolver offers no flexibility, whereas the inductive sensor is smaller and can be installed at the end of the shaft, or fitted in a notch in the motor casing that can be accessed externally. “We are developing a customized solution for each vehicle and each type of motor. It includes the sensor itself and its mounting feet. Everything is done to limit the footprint.”

Hybrid vehicles and the inductive sensor: reduced costs compared to the resolver

This flexibility is highly valued in hybrid vehicles, in which the electric motor, installed close to the internal combustion drivetrain, has a large diameter. The resolver, which must cover the whole circumference, is inevitably large and expensive. The significantly more compact inductive sensor works much better.

However, currently, the resolver continues to dominate the position sensor market. This is primarily because its electronic power system and its data processing algorithms have been understood for a long time and are immediately available, whereas moving to inductive sensors means starting from scratch.

Moving toward inductive sensors with a digital sensor

EFI Automotive has reason to believe in inductive sensors: the contract signed with VW in 2018 has since increased in volume, with hybrid vehicles booming, and several other contracts have been concluded in China and in Europe. These contracts will lead to mass production between 2021 and 2023.

There is also going to be a significant evolution: the communication protocol for sensors will move from analog to digital. This will mean less electric wiring and direct access to the angular position, instead of post-processing of the received signal (sine and cosine). In addition, exit signals could be analyzed to detect failures, faults and drift. It is thought that the digital inductive sensor will therefore offer an additional level of reliability.

“The market is preparing for this evolution but is also struggling with an unknown quantity: which digital protocol will assert itself and become the standard?” explains Olivier Brunel. “We have chosen to move forward without waiting, with partners who produce digital chips. By the end of 2021, we could have products to sample and to make available to our clients.”

Olivier Brunel

E-MOBILITY & STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT MARKET MANAGER

It is always hard to move away from an established solution. But we knew that this technology had its advantages. It is more compact, is suitable for all motors and can be fitted away from the motor, which facilitates maintenance.

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BEST WISHES FOR 2021!

After an outstanding year, full of challenges and opportunities, we wish you a Merry Xmas

and all the best for you and your familly in 2021.

Béatrice Schmidt exchanges with Emmanuel Macron

A review of the exchange between our CEO Béatrice Schmidt and the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, on the stage of #BIG2020.

Thursday, October 1st was #BIG2020 at the Accor Arena in Paris, organized by Bpifrance.

This year, the traditional business and networking event for entrepreneurs was 100% digital in order to comply with current health standards.

It was on this occasion, and on the big stage of the “BANG”, that our CEO, Béatrice Schmidt, was able to exchange with the President of the Republic, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, on topics related to the automotive industry.

Béatrice was thus able to promote and defend our company, in order to make us known and to obtain help for the development of future products.

You can already find the intervention, in french, of Béatrice Schmidt below:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5Og3IPelQE[/embedyt]

You can also find all the speeches of the President of the Republic by following this link.

EFI AUTOMOTIVE develops a new generation of current sensors

Olivier Brunel, is in charge of Marketing for the e-mobility product families.
Here is his analysis on current sensors and their application in the fast-growing e-mobility market.

Before explaining what a current sensor is, it’s interesting to do a little history… EFI Automotive is a specialist in electromagnetic sensors and actuators. “Originally, more than 10 years ago, we worked on a current sensor installed on lead batteries” says Olivier. When a vehicle stopped at a red light or at a stop sign, as part of vehicle management, the sensor mounted on the lead battery would give an indication of its status to check that it would have enough energy to restart the engine. At the time, the solution proposed by EFI Automotive was chosen by Mercedes for a truck application. Despite the interest of the collaboration, for strategic reasons, it was decided to withdraw from the project.

The magnetic and electronic technology used on these products is at the heart of our know-how and is adjacent to our product families (these are onboard solutions in the powertrain part). We have continued to develop our skills in this field over the years for other applications.
Thus, with the arrival of hybrid and electric vehicles on the market, we naturally returned to the market of current sensors in order to provide solutions adapted to this new type of motorization.

The current sensor project relaunched with the electrification of the automotive market

A current sensor is a sensor that will measure the intensity of the current flowing in electrical conductors.
In a vehicle in general, there are about 20 current sensors. In the case of an engine is electric, it is supplied with voltage and current. The current must therefore be monitored to ensure its proper operation and the movement of the actuator.

For example, all window lifters are controlled by a current sensor to prevent fingers from being pinched. If you put your finger towards the window and the window is moving upwards, a resistance will be created that requires more current. This resistance will be identified by the sensor, which will then command the window to stop.
Another example is the Start & Stop function: if the current sensor detects that the battery is no longer powerful enough, it will not stop the engine at a red light to prevent the vehicle from being unable to restart.

There are therefore several types of current sensors (low current and high current). EFI Automotive, for its part, has decided to specialise in current sensors dedicated to power electronics that operate in very harsh environments, 400 or 800 volts with enormous insulation constraints. This power electronics, composed of three to four current sensors, is the one that powers the electric motor and passes between the battery and the engine.
The solution offered by the torque is what is known as a “packaged” sensor, i.e. a current sensor with a connector and a housing, integrated into a finished product, which will then be sold either to OEMs or directly to manufacturers.

A new generation of components

Sensors currently used in power electronics use magnetic circuits of significant size and weight, adding to the complexity of the sensor. With the new magnetic technologies of the future (currently under development at EFI Automotive), it will be possible to do without these magnetic circuits and simplify the sensor and its integration into power electronics at more attractive prices.
However, these new generation solutions do not yet exist on the market as they are currently in the development phase. However, they are already being promoted to our various customers around the world.

These current sensors can work in synergy with our position sensors for electric motors (e-mobility family) which measure the angular position of the motor. These are the two sensors that are truly vital for the proper control of the electric drive train. Together, they enable the ECU to precisely control the electric motor, its power supply, acceleration and continuous rpm phases.

Our expertise of more than 10 years on this type of sensor now enables EFI Automotive to be a partner of the Volkswagen Group in this type of application.
We also have other developments in progress that will go into series production in 2022 and as a developer of electric Powertrain (GMP), we have already identified other applications on which we can collaborate in the future.

Bringing value to the market with breakthrough innovation

EFI Automotive is positioning itself on electric and hybrid vehicles with the ambition to bring breakthrough innovations that offer a perceptible benefit to the customer. Next, the Group’s strategy will be to broaden the offer, to become a significant market player with a wide range. EFI Automotive is already planning to work on other functions…

For example, in our collaboration with the Volkswagen Group, we are working on the version according to the ID3. The process of prospecting customers and presenting our solution takes time. After all, it takes at least two years from the time the product is presented to the customer until it is put into operation. On this project, the team is in the technology validation phase with the customer. The objectives for the start of series production are for 2023 – 2024.

Global presence and flexibility: key assets for collaborating with major car manufacturers

EFI Automotive works with the world’s leading manufacturers. Thanks to its production sites on several continents and a high degree of adaptability to customer needs, the group has won numerous contracts with major manufacturers.

“Today’s manufacturers are thinking globally: although they are based in the United States, the major manufacturers like GM and Ford with whom we work have needs on all continents.” Adam Kirwin is Sales Director for EFI Automotive and has been working with Ford for many years: “Customers like this are looking for suppliers who can produce as close as possible to their factories, whether in the USA, Europe or China.” EFI Automotive, which has 12 locations on three continents (Europe, USA, Asia), offers global coverage that allows it to be as close as possible to its customers during the development of a project. To respond to and win the calls for tenders launched by GM and Ford, EFI Automotive was able to mobilize its American teams in Plymouth, Michigan, near Detroit, the birthplace of the two American manufacturers. Throughout these global projects, in order to best meet the customer’s needs, it is imperative to set up a robust project team with a single point of contact: “This is the role of the Global Account Manager,” explains Adam Kirwin, “he or she will coordinate the project for all the sites, manage the research, prototyping and production start-up phase, and be the one who will report on progress and any difficulties that may arise. His or her ability to share information well and to get people from different cultures working together in geographically remote areas is essential to the smooth running of the project.”

A tailor-made solution

Another advantage of EFI Automotive in meeting the expectations of the automotive giants is its flexibility. “While Ford is a long-standing customer, we were not yet referenced with GM,” explains Adam Kirwin, “when they were looking for a solution to remotely automate the parking brake function on their electric vehicles, we offered them not a off-the-shelf solution, but a tailor-made solution, which we developed with them.” The e-lock parking brake solution was also an opportunity for EFI Automotive to demonstrate its ability to innovate and offer new solutions for the electric and hybrid vehicle engines for which it was developed. In the end, GM was won over by this solution, which better met its expectations and also had the advantage of being more compact and therefore easier to integrate into its engines. The EFI Automotive site in Plymouth then underwent quality tests and received the TASL Approved label, an essential key to joining the American manufacturer’s list of suppliers.

From 5,000 to 20,000 hours of development

The duration and number of staff behind the various projects depends on the complexity of the specifications. Depending on whether we are supplying a completely new part or a part that we are already producing in series, the project could require between 5,000 and 20,000 hours of development time and involve between 3 and 10 people. The contracts then include a production period of five years, generally renewable. For the tenders related to GM and Ford, production at EFI Automotive’s American, European and Chinese sites should total around 25 million parts!

EFI expert in engine and transmission sensors

Market and stakeholders

Engine sensors: an essential tool for more efficient and less polluting engines

One of EFI Automotive’s major markets is engine sensors. An engine sensor plays an essential role in the operation of an engine, it is thanks to it that combustion can be controlled and made more efficient while reducing pollutant emissions. Meeting with Philippe Grébert, Product Line Manager.

Every year, EFI Automotive produces around 40 million sensors worldwide.

A key market for the group, which has been an expert in this field for decades and is one of the market leaders in Europe. But by the way, what is the purpose of a sensor? On an internal combustion engine, there are two main families of engine sensors: crankshaft and camshaft sensors. The first gives information on the position of the pistons in the combustion cycle during the four strokes of the engine cycle (intake, compression, combustion and exhaust). The second allows to detect the exact position of the camshafts that operate the valves to allow air to enter the cylinders and then let the burnt gases escape. “Thanks to the information collected via these sensors, we are able to calculate the best time to proceed with injection, the time when it will be most effective,” explains Philippe Grébert, Product Line Manager, “This enables us to reduce the engine’s consumption and reduce the polluting emissions regulated by international standards. “Because the engine must not only move the vehicle efficiently, it must also comply with international standards at the same time. These were introduced in the 1990s and limit emissions of four main pollutants: nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, fine particles and unburned gases. More recently, the European Union has also regulated the maximum threshold for CO2 emissions. “The balance between efficiency and compliance with regulations depends directly on the reliability of the information provided by our sensors,” says the engineer. “That’s why we have an imperative of quality and reliability.”

Continuously tested and validated production

The development phase of a project around sensors is about two years. It includes the definition of the design, the integration of customer specifications and a validation process through strict tests. Once the product is validated, it goes into production and must pass a quality control at each stage of its manufacture. Then, before being shipped to the customer, the sensor is subjected to a final control carried out internally: “At EFI Automotive, we control 100% of the sensors that leave our factories” insists Philippe Grébert, “and today we have an extremely low return rate, less than 5 per million units produced”.

The transition to electric

The motor sensor market is in transition with car manufacturers increasingly turning to the production of electric vehicles. EFI Automotive has long anticipated this transition and has adapted its know-how to the specific needs related to electric motorization. “We have organized ourselves to be able to offer our customers suitable sensors,” explains Philippe Grébert, “we have created a new specific family of sensors that are brought, in an electric motor, to operate in an absolute position within an assembly where the rotation speed is extremely high.”

What proportion of electric vehicles will be sold in the coming years?

Analyses and forecasts diverge but agree that the proportion of electric car sales will increase. Worldwide, the internal combustion engine is still in the majority, but no one knows exactly for how long. For EFI Automotive, whatever the evolution of the automobile, the group will be ready to meet these new challenges.

SENSE. BUILD. DRIVE. : the EFI Philosophy

EFI Automotive, a worldwide Tier-1 and Tier-2 automotive supplier, has a strong personality, with the culture of an industrialist who puts each day its expertise and its operational excellence at the service of its customers. Its philosophy can be summed up in three words: SENSE.BUILD.DRIVE.

SENSE.

SENSE because to be effective you have to understand the ecosystem in which you are evolving, intuit the technological evolutions and capture the needs of the market. Therefore, we think of all our solutions upstream and in close collaboration with our customers, all over the world.

SENSE.

BUILD.

BUILD because we offer our customers our industrial expertise and our approach of excellence in the development of sensors, actuators and mechatronic modules in powertrain transmission, e-mobility and chassis applications. EFI accompanies them with agility and expertise closer to their needs.

BUILD.

DRIVE.

DRIVE because we have the same long-term, trustworthy partnership with our customers all over the world, based on a quality approach accompanied by a logic of sustainable development, and the strong convictions of all our employees.

DRIVE.

Welcome to a company that is attentive, expert and responsible, driven by strong values to imagine, day after day, the solutions for the mobility of tomorrow.

Joint project with the CEA on predictive actuator control

EFI innovates for everyone

EFI Automotive partners with CEA to develop the actuator of the future

In order to offer its customers ever more innovation, EFI Automotive has teamed up with Leti, a laboratory of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), to develop a new generation of actuators, controlled by a predictive control algorithm.

Each year, the EFI Automotive group devotes around 8% of its turnover to research and development in order to offer its customers new, ever more innovative and efficient products. Today, it is partnering with Leti, a laboratory of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), to develop a new generation actuator. “Our objective is to develop an actuator whose control law, i. e. the algorithm that drives it, is based on a prediction system,” explains Vincent Liébart (Real Time Electronics Engineer), “concretely, we want to develop an algorithm that does not limit itself to the past and present states of the actuator to decide which control to apply to the actuator but is able to anticipate their consequences and verify in real time that this is the right action to take.” Thanks to such an algorithm, actuators will become more efficient, more reliable and the intelligence of the system will allow them to be developed for new applications.

From research to industrial constraints

Before this can be achieved, predictive control must be mastered. This is why EFI turned to Leti, a CEA laboratory: “Leti has experts in predictive control with researchers who work only on this subject”, continues Vincent Liébart, “the idea is to work together to apply research work to the development of an industrial product with all the constraints that this implies.” Minimum space requirement, reduced cost, reliability, volumes… the constraints related to the industry in general and the automotive industry in particular, are not lacking and the site is immense. “To meet these constraints, we had to redo the coding of the algorithm from almost zero,” continues Vincent Liébart, “especially since we wanted to develop an extremely fast, reliable and accurate calculation core, and at the same time, sufficiently standardized so that it could be easily used in various applications.”

The major challenge: mastering the algorithm

The coding of this core therefore represents the first major step in this project, which began in the spring of 2018 and is expected to take at least another six months of work. “Before running an actuator, we need to ensure that this core will do the right calculations,” explains Vincent Liébart, “we will then move on to the second phase of the project, which will consist of verifying it in real conditions by integrating this core into our actuator control software architecture.” For EFI Automotive, the major challenge is to perfectly master the algorithm in order to adapt it to various applications. The so-called “smart” technology, based on the integration of control electronics into mechatronic systems, opens up new opportunities for the group in the actuator market. “With the development of hybrid or electric vehicles, more and more functions in the automotive industry are electrified,” emphasizes Vincent Liébart, “and for this to happen, we need ever more efficient and advanced actuators.” It is through research and development projects, such as this one with the CEA, that EFI Automotive stays one step ahead of its competitors and will be able to better meet the future expectations of its customers if the group has anticipated their needs.

EFI Automotive’s innovative sensor acclaimed by Volkswagen

EFI partners with the world’s leading companies

Thanks to its innovative sensor for electric motors,

EFI Automotive wins a major tender for the Volkswagen group and continues its collaboration with the world’s leading automotive companies. After about ten years of research and development, EFI Automotive’s teams have developed a new electronic sensor for electric motors. Thanks to this innovation, the group won a major tender from the German car manufacturer Volkswagen. This long-standing EFI Automotive customer was impressed by the advantages of this new technology: “The sensor we have developed is unique on the market and offers many advantages,” explains Olivier Brunel, E-mobility & Strategic development Market Manager: “It is more robust than a conventional solution in the face of the many disturbances present in an electric motor such as electromagnetic fields for example; it is extremely accurate since it allows the rotation of the motor to be measured to within 0.1 degrees, and finally, it can be very easily assembled and dismantled, which is of particular interest to a car manufacturer like Volkswagen. »

Close collaboration with the manufacturer

Once the tender was won, the EFI Automotive team worked closely with the German group. The project had about ten people on the EFI side: from the design engineer to the purchasing manager, including the quality expert, the industrial expert and of course the project manager who acts as conductor and link with his counterparts at Volkswagen. It involved almost as many people as there were trades. “These are people we know well because we have been working with them for more than twenty years,” explains Olivier Brunel, “we had to meet very demanding specifications and meet the standards of all the Group’s brands. »

The first stage takes place internally, with the construction of a model and the first tests on EFI Automotive’s own benches in Lyon. Once validated, the part is developed as an “A” prototype and sent to the customer who in turn tests it on his own installations. Depending on the results of the tests and developments, the part is declined in version B then C until the final version is validated by both partners. The customer can then start industrialization. “During the project, our biggest work focused on the electronic chip,” explains Olivier Brunel, “it allowed us to obtain quite remarkable results in terms of measurement accuracy, an essential factor in the case of electric motors.” All the exchanges and round trips lasted about 18 months.

A project that supports a booming electricity market

For the major car manufacturers, the transition to hybrid and all-electric powertrains is accelerating. EFI Automotive is now reaping the benefits of several years of investment in research and development on electric motors.

Olivier Brunel

E-mobility & Strategic development Market Manager

That a manufacturer like Volkswagen trusts us on a project of this magnitude on electric motor sensors proves that we are moving in the right direction.

Hyundai integrates EFI Automotive’s “intelligent” engine temperature management solution

EFI partners with the world’s leading companies

The Korean car manufacturer Hyundai

integrates an “intelligent” temperature management solution developed by EFI Automotive and the German equipment manufacturer Mann+Hummel on three engines in its range

After winning over PSA in 2013, the “intelligent” engine temperature management solution was adopted by another major international car manufacturer. Since 2018, the Korean Hyundai has been integrating the solution developed by EFI Automotive and Germany’s Mann+Hummel, one of the international leaders in air and oil filters, for three engines in its vehicle range.

Optimized flow management

We have developed a so-called intelligent engine temperature management system that reacts faster than passive systems and controls the temperature of the cooling fluid precisely,” explains Laurent Roussel, Advanced Projects & Product Line Manager, “the module regulates water flows between the cooling unit, the cabin heater and the engine at any operating point of the engine, and according to the desired combination. “It allows, for example, when starting, to raise the engine faster to its optimal operating temperature: the engine therefore becomes more efficient and at the same time less polluting. This flow management also has other advantages, always at the start: “During the first minutes of engine operation, we will try to direct the flows as quickly as possible towards the passenger compartment to warm it up and thus quickly ensure the comfort of the occupants. The regulation and the choices to be made are made continuously through an electronic system for which EFI Automotive has also developed the control laws. In the end, this solution reduces engine fuel consumption by 2%, “which corresponds to a reduction in CO2 emissions of about 2 g of CO2, a major asset for car manufacturers today”, explains Laurent Roussel. <

2 million pieces per year

Exchanges with Hyundai began in 2015. During the three years of project development, EFI Automotive teams developed a solution adapted to the quality requirements and volume constraints of their new Korean customer: “If the technology takes over elements from the actuator developed for PSA, we have developed a specific actuator for Hyundai, in line with our trademark, which is to offer our customers tailor-made solutions. “Today, Hyundai is fitting this solution as standard for three of the engines in its range. At cruising speed by 2022-2023, EFI Automotive will produce around two million parts per year for Hyundai plants in Europe and the United States. A significant production volume that will be entirely realized in France, at the Beynost production site (69).

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