Automotive Engineering - December 2022 - 32

Q&
A
Gearing Dana for the EV future
As Dana Inc. transitions further into electrified systems, it pays to
have a Mechatronics engineer leading the company's technology
charge. Giulio Ornella, Dana's VP of global engineering, has been
working on electrified driveline solutions for more than 15 years.
He says his mission is " to cross-pollinate the 'mechatronics
brains' thoroughly into our entire engineering organization. "
Ornella spoke with SAE Media Editor Lindsay Brooke during the
2022 Detroit auto show. Highlights of the discussion:
For a 118-year-old driveline systems supplier, the industry's
transition toward EVs must have its challenges.
We still have one foot in the traditional business! And not all OEMs
are jumping directly from today's axles
and propulsion into battery EVs. Some are
developing hybrids that use our electrified
products, either rigid or beam axles.
How is electrification changing Dana's
engineering organization?
In this transformation, Dana is becoming a
mechatronics company. New powertrains
should adopt to driving conditions to
minimize consumption, whether it's of
hydrocarbon fuels or electrons. OEMs are
interested in EVs with a single e-motor
and single-speed transmission; single motor
with two speeds; single motor with
two-speed powershift; two speeds with
dog clutches, two motors, and more. We
are hiring new engineering talent in key
areas, including embedded software,
power electronics, cybersecurity.
Senior management and our OEM customers
are pushing sustainability into
many areas, embedding it into our product
development. We're identifying ways
to reuse recycled materials, for example
magnets/rare earths. We're finding ways
to eliminate glues in electric motors.
What's your view of the Scope 3 standard?
Dana is targeting a reduction in Scope 1
and 2 emissions by at least 50 percent by
2030. Scope 3 is a huge opportunity for
us. Sometimes you need this kind of push.
Electric machine expertise has been a
fast-growing focus at Dana.
Yes, we do e-motor development inhouse
now. Our [2018] acquisition of
Montreal-based SME group gave us a
solid position in low- and high-voltage
e-motor technology. (Dana TM4 also
32 December 2022
acquired U.K.-based Ashwoods Electric Motors, known for its
interior permanent-magnet motors used in mobility, off-highway
and stationary applications).
What technical trends have your attention?
Thermal management is key for advancements in electric powertrains.
We have many solutions for heat exchangers, integrated
with the axle. The e-axle is now an 'intelligent' system.
We can use it to heat up the entire system.
The next 10 years will see a huge evolution in battery technology,
with system voltages going up, up, up! Our current discussions
typically involve 800-volt systems. Lucid is at 900V;
we've had requests for 950-volt systems
and 1200V for commercial vehicles!
Power inverters have limits, however.
Giulio Ornella, Dana Corp.
VP of global engineering.
Higher-speed motors in
the e-axles are driving
more FEA and advanced
modeling, more special
finishes and coatings.
What's next within the drive axle?
We're the industry leader in helical and
bevel gearsets. Efficiency gains are still
coming. We see a transition to parallel
gears, and higher-speed motors in the
e-axles are driving more FEA and advanced
modeling, more special finishes
and coatings. There's also a trend to standardize
the lubrication across the electric
vehicle - same lube in the motor, transmission,
etc. 'Green' lubes are coming; we're
working with Southwest Research Institute
[SwRI] and other industrial partners on
many lube solutions, including exploring
the feasibility of re-refining the oil.
What about lightweighting?
We're working on using magnesium
and other special alloys to improve durability
as well as reduce driveline system
weight. Beam axles will continue
to have many applications; we're looking
at steel axle tubes mated with aluminum
housings. Separately, co-axial
designs can be tricky because axle flex
can affect the air gap of the e-motor.
Talk about working with the new crop of
startup OEMs.
They come to us because Dana can move
quickly and we're flexible, which is what
they expect of suppliers.
We're helping the startups with DFM
and DFA [design for manufacturability
and design for assembly]. To some we're
supplying gearsets; to others we supply
the e-motor.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
LINDSAY BROOKE
Automotive Engineering - December 2022

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