Location: Midlands
Coventry University’s Centre for Advanced Low-Carbon Propulsion Systems (C-ALPS) brings together academic expertise and state-of-the-art facilities in battery and supercapacitor cells, hydrogen fuel-cells, e-motors and drives, creating an environment where researchers and industry work together on the science and engineering behind the next generation of electrified propulsion systems.
Global engineering consultancy FEV is a founding partner, with its UK commercial operations co-located in the C-ALPS facility, offering partners a unique blend of academic and engineering support.
Key strengths and unique capabilities
- Power semiconductor device performance, characterisation, and modelling
- GaN and SiC wide bandgap device development
- Device modelling and characterisation
- EMC modelling and testing
- E-machine and drive design for propulsion systems
- Design for manufacture and assembly – part of Coventry University’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME)
- Metrology (AME)
- Laser joining (AME)
- Digital manufacturing (AME)
- E-machine test and development (C-ALPS)
- Quasi-static e-motor characterisation bench test
- 5 system test benches ranging from 250 – >475kW
- Circa 450kW DC power with higher capacity
- Bulk hydrogen supply into all 5 cells for powertrain testing
- Metrology – measurement systems and control of uncertainty in manufacturing processes
- Design for manufacture and assembly
- Laser joining
- Digital manufacturing
More than £20m of investment has been channelled into C-ALPS, a world-class and continually evolving research and test centre. This independent facility works with multiple OEMs, tier 1s and SMEs.
Equipment
Managed in conjunction with FEV UK, C-ALPS houses 5 state-of-the-art powertrain test cells for high-power testing, incorporating > 300kW of DC power, hydrogen and fuel supplies for complete system testing.
- Flexible modular test system for e-drive research and development
- High power dynos > 450kW
- High speed testing > 25krpm
- Quasi-static e-machine characterisation
- Power and efficiency measurement
- Control hardware and software development
- Thermal characterisation
The EMC chamber at C-ALPS provides an environment where partners can work with the centre’s expertise and state-of-the-art equipment to de-risk products and technologies, diagnosing early issues with power hardware.
- EMI test receiver (9kHz-3.6GHz): for certification measurement, compliant to CISPR
- 3m x 3m EMI chamber with conducted and radiated emission up to 10GHz for pre-compliance measurement and research
- DUT DC/AC operation, DC power range up to 1kV / 200A
- Compliant to CISPR25 conducted and radiated emission
The centre’s expertise in power semiconductors and semiconductor device performance supports their industrial partners with the development of high-efficiency and high power-density power converter systems; accelerating the adoption of wide band-gap devices and optimising performance through digital modelling and control techniques.
- Keysight B1505A Curve Tracer for power device characterisation up to 1500A/10kV
- N1265A UHC Expander/Fixture ±500A/60V (7.5kW peak power)
- N1268A UHV Expander ±10kV (20mA pulsed)
- Inseto Magnetic Stimulation Wafer Probing Station producing a magnetic field up to 400mT flux density
With expertise and state-of-the-art facilities in metrology and laser joining, the AME research centre is well placed to support partners with related PEMD manufacturing projects. Open access equipment includes:
- ABB Robot Welding Cell
- Zeiss CMM
- Hexagon Romar Arm
- Lecia Laser Tracker
- Photogrammetry kits
- MetraSCAN 3D
- Mitutoyo SV-C3100 surface finish and contour measurement
- Alicona G5 instrument