MEDATech has launched what it says is a rugged, space-saving thermal management unit for industrial battery-electric vehicles.
Having made battery-electric drivetrains for heavy-duty equipment OEMs like MacLean, Kovatera and Muckahi Mining Systems, MEDATech’s ALTDRIVE division had accepted that a problem area in the company’s designs had long been thermal management units.
“We could never find a battery thermal management unit robust enough or sleek enough,” MEDATech’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Darren Mueller, said. “They were either too fragile for industrial use, so bulky that we had to compromise on vehicle design, or tough to integrate into vehicle management systems. So we built one.”
The ALTDRIVE BTMU, as the unit was dubbed (BTMU = Battery Thermal Management Unit), has an AKG-built condenser that can be placed remotely to save space and enable consistent airflow. At 25 in x 26.5 in x 15 in and 105 lb (48 kg), the BTMU is a tight package that’s built rugged enough to withstand the most adverse underground conditions, but powerful enough to reject heat at a rate of 7.5 kW, MEDATech says. It is powered by the vehicle’s high-voltage system and plugs into the J1939 CAN network. The BTMU also has an optional 10 kW heater add-on that can be connected to the base unit if cold-weather operation is planned.
The ALTDRIVE BTMU works as well as a retrofit as it does on new builds, according to the company. It delivers precision cooling and can also report temperature and pressure monitoring within vehicle-control systems. Its release has seen such popular acclaim that MEDATech has partnered with AKG to expand BTMU product line offerings, MEDATech said. AKG has been a global partner in thermal-management solutions for many different markets since 1919.
Josh Belin, AKG Senior Product Manager, said: “We are very excited to partner with MEDATech to further develop the BTMU product line. As the market continues to evolve, it will become increasingly important to be able to handle the requirements of a wide variety of applications.”