How MANN+HUMMEL is helping to shape the future of e-mobility

MANN+HUMMEL is able to use its decades of experience in the area of filtration to meet the requirements for electric mobility. This is because also here it's all about separating the harmful from the useful. We do that partly with established products and partly with future-oriented new products.

"In order to help shape the mobility concept of the future, it is absolutely necessary to further develop as a company." Dr. Michael Harenbrock knows what he's talking about. He is senior expert for electric mobility at MANN+HUMMEL and addresses the subject with a lot of passion. "We understand electric mobility as a whole system. This includes the battery, fuel cell or charging infrastructure and not just for cars, but also for stationary applications such as combined heat and power plants (CHP), forklifts with fuel cell or electric buses. In all these areas we have to be and want to be active."

MANN+HUMMEL transfers its existing expertise to different application areas which include electric mobility. Filtration and separation is the core for electric mobility, just as it is for the whole company. Plastics technology and the integration of functions are important areas of expertise to be able to develop products which can extend the performance and lifetime of electric drives in cars. In addition to established products such as cabin filters which can be used with combustion engines and electric vehicles, the developers can exploit existing expertise and also integrate new technology.

At MANN+HUMMEL we are constantly finding new solutions for electric mobility. As a result, our range of products is constantly growing.

Some examples:

High voltage batteries, electric motors and power electronics require a defined temperature range in order to function. These preferred conditions for the components can be achieved through air cooling. In this case, MANN+HUMMEL uses typical particulate filter media to protect the battery and blower against harmful particles. For this purpose, the developers exploit materials and expertise from the field of cabin air filtration.

Air dryer products bind moisture inside the battery system and prevent water condensation on cool surfaces. In a similar way air-drying boxes are already being used for pneumatic brake systems.

An ion exchange filter for the fuel cell cleans the coolant and removes dissolved salts to prevent short circuits on the fuel cell stack. And as well as filtering out harmful particles, the air filter system for the fuel cell also filters out gases from the air. These could otherwise cause long-term damage to the fuel cell.

"It is not enough to only use our existing expertise, we also have to continuously expand our knowledge", says Harenbrock. "This is why MANN+HUMMEL works closely together with customers, suppliers and research institutes. This enables us to perfectly understand the new requirements and then implement this expertise in products which help our customers master the challenges associated with electric mobility."

Current discussions and numerous funding programs in Germany, Norway and China are a clear indication that electric mobility is on the move. But Harenbrock knows that the transition will not take place overnight. "Electric mobility will not be achieved in the short-term. But today we are already working intensively on the goal. For example, supply chains are being formed in industry, and suppliers and customers are getting to know how components function in the field of electric mobility. "Fields tests are being carried out to determine which products are appropriate for development in the company and important patents are being filed", he explains. "To make sure that MANN+HUMMEL is also one step ahead in the field of electric mobility, we must all join forces and become even quicker at what we do."