On September 10, 2019, DENSO Tech Links Tokyo #4 was held. This meetup event was organized by DENSO Corporation to discuss the latest developments at the company. DENSO employees talked about the company’s technologies and vehicle electrification efforts based on the theme of “The Ongoing Evolution of Vehicle Electrification.” Three DENSO employees joined this event: Minoru Ishida of the Electrification Systems Development Div., Yukio Goto of the Electrification Components Eng. Div. 1, and Tsukasa Kikuchi of the Electric Components Eng. Div. Each gave a presentation on products they had developed and the future of electric-drive vehicles. Mr. Kikuchi was the last speaker and talked about the mechanism and usage of motor generators (MGs), which function both as a motor and as a power generator.
Motor generators and electrification
Kikuchi: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’m Tsukasa Kikuchi from the Electric Components Eng. Div. I am going to speak about the present and future of motor generators, or MGs, which are a key component of electrification.
I joined the company in 2004 and was involved in developing the control of alternators. From around 2011, I worked on the mechanical design of the battery pack enclosures. At present, I am developing MGs.
You might not know what an MG is, but you can take it as written: an MG is a mechanical unit that functions both as a motor and as a power generator.
An MG switches between acting as a motor or as a power generator according to the running status of the vehicle or the status of the battery. When the MG is used as a motor, it provides assistance power to start the engine or accelerate. A hybrid vehicle occasionally runs only with the power of the MG with the engine turned off.
Meanwhile, when the MG is used as a power generator, it steadily regenerates energy during vehicle deceleration and charges the battery.
Let me ask you a question. This material is taken from a survey by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on people’s concerns about the disadvantages of electric vehicles.
Please click here to view the full press release.
SOURCE: DENSO
