Economical, quiet, environmentally friendly, safe and comfortable – this is how automotive travel should be in the future. Fraunhofer scientists are researching ways to make this a reality, for instance by looking into sustainable drive concepts and intelligent lightweight technologies as a way to decrease fuel consumption. Finding ways to improve resource and energy efficiency also plays an important role in new vehicle production technologies.
For the first time, the internal structures of a vehicle are rendered visible during crash thanks to the newly installed technology for X-ray car crash (X-CC) at the Crash Center of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
A German research alliance with well-known members from industry and research has developed the basis for smart, high resolution LED headlights, which takes adaptive forward lighting to a new dimension. The light can be adapted to take account of every conceivable bend in the road so that there are no dark peripheral areas.This allows the driver to see these vehicles more clearly. At the same time, the beam of light does not shine on the heads of oncoming drivers, which means they’re not dazzled. As a result, such shifting headlights no longer have to be dimmed on country roads.
As part of its electromobility systems research project, Fraunhofer has developed various prototype components with a view to putting more electric vehicles on the road. The technologies with the greatest likelihood of being implemented rapidly have been selected for further research in the transfer project.
In order to analyze the heating effect of the films for cars, the researchers connected them to a power source and monitored them using a thermo camera.
If you don‘t want to freeze in your electric car, you have to make a few concessions, because heating devours a substantial portion of power supply. Fraunhofer researchers will exhibit the demo model of a highly energy-efficient heating system for electric cars at the IAA: a coated film that produces a broad, radiant heat.
Until now, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have been used only to automate material transportation within production halls, and have moved no faster than walking pace for safety reasons. The SaLsA project develops autonomous AGVs that for the first time are able to operate beyond the confines of production and storage facilities. These new vehicles are designed to keep pace with and work safely alongside employees and conventional forklifts and trucks.
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg have developed a highly efficient system for inductively charging electric vehicles. The contactless solution transfers energy to the vehicle’s battery via a magnetic field formed between two coils.
Increasing automotive efficiency is not just about reducing fuel consumption: it’s also about cutting back on energy and raw materials before cars even hit the road. At the Center of Excellence for Automotive Production in Chemnitz, scientists and engineers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU are working with VW to develop solutions for tomorrow’s automotive production. The aim is to apply the findings to industrial series production as soon as the project is completed.
Are modern, lightweight vehicles safe? What happens in a crash involving an electric car? These are the sorts of questions researchers are investigating – along with many others – at the new, versatile crash-test facility in Efringen-Kirchen, Baden-Württemberg.
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
