Engineer’s Message page04

Engineer’s Message

Integrated Thermal Management System (ITMS)The future of EVs and the global environment being opened up by ITMS

Integrated Thermal Management System (ITMS)

04Roadmap to Becoming “World Number One”

How are Sanden’s unique technologies utilized in ITMS?: Okawara:

While other companies are also working on integrated thermal management systems, the advantage of our ITMS lies in the “hot gas system,” which is an alternative to the electric heaters used to provide supplemental heat at extremely low temperatures.
Conventional heat pumps do not perform well in extremely cold environments, i.e., minus 10°C or below. This is because as the outside temperature drops, there is also less thermal energy in the air, greatly reducing the amount of heat that can be drawn from it. Physically, they can operate at minus 20°C, but because there is little thermal energy left in the air, they reach a practical limit in terms of heating functionality.
For this reason, conventional heat pumps require auxiliary electric heaters. Auxiliary electric heaters use electric power to provide direct heating and serve to maintain heating functionality even in extremely cold environments. However, auxiliary electric heaters have disadvantages in terms of cost and the space available for mounting inside the vehicle.
Sanden’s hot gas system offers an alternative to these auxiliary electric heaters. Since hot gas generated by the compressor is used directly for heating, it is not easily affected by outside temperatures, resulting in stable heating performance. Achieving an output comparable to that of conventional hot water heaters (up to approximately 8 to 10 kW), it can efficiently heat the cabin of a vehicle even in extremely cold environments. As such, the hot gas system allows heating to function without the need for an auxiliary electric heater, especially at extremely low temperatures of minus 40°C.

This should provide peace of mind even in cold regions.: Okawara:

At Sanden, we are working to provide highly efficient and reliable heating functions, especially in cold climates. Hot gas systems requires greater durability than conventional designs, but we have a long history of developing and mass-producing highly durable compressors, and we draw on this expertise to achieve high levels of durability and reliability.
Because these hot gas systems do not require the installation of an auxiliary electric heater, they can also help reduce the overall cost of the vehicle, and the fact that no space is required for a heater allows for greater flexibility in vehicle design. We believe this will be an attractive proposition for OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers; manufacturers of finished vehicles) in terms of both cost and space.

Could you tell us about any other technologies unique to Sanden?: Okawara:

We have developed our first multi-layer heat exchanger. This heat exchanger transfers heat between the refrigerant and water (coolant), and is an essential component of an integrated heat management system. While there are already cases of other companies using cooling water circulators called “chillers,” this is Sanden’s first commercialization of such a system. Mass production for the Chinese market is already underway in some areas. The new multi-layer heat exchanger being developed as ITMS 3.0 is unique in that it adopts a new approach rather than simply imitating existing technology. Specifically, in the field of cooling equipment, where different designs are usually required for high pressure and low pressure, we are able to accommodate both pressure conditions with a single design. In the past, it was the norm to design for each pressure condition separately, so this approach of covering both with a single design is new in the industry, and has yet to be implemented by any other company.
This design allows it to operate as a condenser in high-pressure applications and as an evaporator in low-pressure applications. The function names are adapted to the characteristics of the cooling process, and efforts have been made from the design stage to accommodate different pressure environments.

What are the current trends in ITMS development and what are the prospects for the future?: Okawara:

Sanden’s technology development roadmap is to continue to develop innovative products in cooling and heat exchange technologies. In particular, we are looking to bring a product line utilizing natural refrigerants to market starting in 2027. We also plan to further downsize the main unit and integrate the various components.

Where can Sanden’s strengths be seen in action?: Okawara:

Sanden’s ability to make these technological innovations is due in large part to the advanced technical expertise in its core product, compressors. Sanden started with the development of belt-driven compressors and has a large share of the global market in the field of electric compressors, including the largest share in the Chinese market. Compressors are the key technology for delivering efficiency and reliability in heat pumps and integrated thermal management systems.
Sanden’s compressors have earned an excellent reputation in the industry for their strong cooling performance and durability.
Sanden has a development environment in which technological synergies can be created through cooperation and collaboration between specialized departments, such as condensers and ITMS. In developing ITMS 2.0 and ITMS 3.0, we were able to leverage our experience and track record with heat pumps to create efficient and reliable systems.
Sanden is one of only a few companies, either in Japan or overseas, to offer competitive heat pump products. Looking to the future, our goal is to become number one in the world in the field of integrated thermal management system and to further strengthen Sanden’s position in the global market.