49 noise with other driving sounds. This means the higher the speed of the car the more noise the motor could be allowed to make because it is covered by tyre and wind noise.” Motor architectures supported include PMSM, IM and SRM, a flexibility enabled by the use of a “universal” inverter, which replicates the behaviour of the original test specimen inverter. This allows for the electric motor to be analysed in advance, leading to an optimised inverter design. The universal inverter is designed for outputs up to 900 A, 520 V and 400 kW under normal operating conditions. It can also handle overloads (defined under constant motor rating (CMR) conditions) for up to 60 seconds at a time before protective measures are activated, withstanding repeated overloads over a 600-second period. The company emphasises a high level of customisation in its solutions, particularly when it comes to automation. Many of its customers have automation systems in place, and tectos integrates its test equipment with them. “We learned that the automation needs to be separated from the test system. Customers usually do not want to change their existing setups,” Höfler explains. In cases where a customer is starting a greenfield project, tectos offers a selection of automation solutions, ranging from well-established, sophisticated setups to open solutions based on tools such as MATLAB with communications interfacing from National Instruments (NI), for example. In addition to testing individual components, tectos’ systems also support end-to-end testing, encompassing motor and inverter components as well as larger powertrain or vehicle systems. “You need to focus on the whole product, which in fact consists of different systems,” Höfler notes. The company utilizes a patented solution to measure output power precisely at the output of the unit under test (UUT), minimising interference from friction, while precise electric power analysers from external suppliers such as DEWETRON are used to generate highly accurate efficiency maps. While tectos relies on external partners for certain aspects of environmental simulation, it can test motors and systems across a temperature range from -80°C to +150°C under varying humidity conditions. The company also provides advanced solutions for testing liquidcooled and air-cooled systems, modelling factors such as convection and heat dissipation to simulate cooling performance accurately. For EMI and EMC testing, the company works with specialist partner Emitech, enabling tectos to test its own products and deliver EMI/EMC benches to customers. Some of its own products, such as glass fibre drive shafts, are specially designed for EMC. tectos’ systems are also equipped with robust data acquisition and analysis capabilities to provide real-time insights in support of predictive maintenance and optimisation for example. Höfler highlights the importance of root cause analysis, a method that helps engineers understand and troubleshoot complex systems. tectos also integrates its equipment with simulation tools, including hardware-in-the-loop systems, for system design validation. Future directions Inevitably, AI and machine learning (ML) figure heavily in prospects for further advances in test systems generally, and they are already beginning to transform e-motor testing. For example, AI-driven systems are likely to automate more test procedures, reducing manual effort and minimising human error, while ML will get better at adapting testing sequences based on real-time data, optimising conditions for different motor types and use cases. AI-powered digital twins will become increasingly powerful, enabling higherfidelity, real-time simulation and whatif analysis, while HIL testing combined with AI will create more accurate and adaptive test environments. ML algorithms can find correlations between test parameters and failure modes, helping engineers to improve designs. Finally, the integration of cloud computing with edge AI will enable real-time remote monitoring and testing. E-Mobility Engineering | March/April 2025 HBK power analyser measures and calculates electrical signals and power in real-time on up to 51 channels, as well as mechanical power with up to 6 torque / speed signals and a typical base power accuracy of 0.02% (Image courtesy of HBK)
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