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Abstract The transition of vehicle propulsion technologies away from conventional internal combustion engines toward more electrically dominant systems such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) poses new challenges for vehicle thermal management systems. Especially at low ambient temperatures, consumer demand for cabin comfort as well as legislatively imposed safety considerations significantly reduce the electric driving range because only electric energy can be used for heating during emissions-free driving modes. Recent developments to find energy efficient thermal management systems for electric and plug-in electric vehicles have led to the implementation of automotive heat pump systems. As an alternative approach to meet dynamic heating demands and safety regulations, these systems use heat at a low temperature level, for example the waste heat of electric drivetrain components, to heat the passenger compartment efficiently and therefore increase the electric driving range.

Abstract Exhaust manifolds are one of the most important components on the engine assembly, which is mounted on engine cylinder head. Exhaust manifolds connect exhaust ports of cylinders to the turbine for turbocharged diesel engine therefore they play a significant role in the performance of engine system. Exhaust manifolds are subjected to very harsh thermal loads; extreme heating under very high temperatures and cooling under low temperatures. Therefore designing a durable exhaust manifold is a challenging task. Computer aided engineering (CAE) is an effective tool to drive an exhaust manifold design at the early stage of engine development. Thus advanced CAE methodologies are required for the accurate prediction of temperature distribution. However, at the end of the development process, for the design verification purposes, various tests have to be carried out in engine dynamometer cells under severe operating conditions.

Abstract This article applies a new method for the evaluation and estimation of real-life energy consumption of two different thermal management systems based on driving behavior in the course of the day. Recent attempts to find energy-efficient thermal management systems for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have led to using secondary loop systems as an alternative approach for meeting dynamic heating and cooling demands and reducing refrigerant charge. However, the additional layer of thermal resistance, which influences the system’s transient behavior as well as passenger compartment comfort during cool-down or heat-up, makes it difficult to estimate the annual energy consumption. In this article, the overall energy consumption of a conventional and a secondary loop system is compared using a new method for describing actual customers’ driving behavior in the course of the day.

Abstract Heat generation characteristics of lithium ion batteries are vital for both the optimization of the battery cells and thermal management system design of battery packs. Compared with other factors, internal resistance has great influence on the thermal behavior of Li-ion batteries. Focus on a 3 Ah pouch type battery cell with the NCM/C material system, this paper quantitatively evaluates the battery heat generation behavior using an Extended Volume-Accelerating Rate Calorimeter in combination with a battery cycler. Also, internal resistances of the battery cell are measured using both the hybrid pulse power characteristic (HPPC) and electro-chemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. Experimental results show that the overall internal resistance obtained by the EIS method is close to the ohmic resistance measured by the HPPC method. Heat generation power of the battery cell is small during discharge processes lower than 0.5 C-rate.

Abstract It is reasonable to use a two-phase heat transfer loop (TPL) in a thermal control system (TCS) of spacecraft with large heat dissipation. One of the key elements of TPL is a heat-controlled accumulator (HCA). The HCA represents a volume which is filled with vapor and liquid of a single working fluid without bellows. The pressure in a HCA is controlled by the heater. The heat and mass transfer processes in the HCA can proceed with a significant nonequilibrium. This has implications on the regulation of TPL. This article presents a mathematical model of nonequilibrium heat and mass transfer processes in an HCA for microgravity conditions. The model uses the equations of mass and energy conservation separately for the vapor and liquid phases. Interfacial heat and mass transfer is also taken into account. It proposes to use the convective component k for the level of nonequilibrium evaluation.

Abstract Improving the energy performance of batteries can increase the reliability of electric aircraft. To achieve this goal, battery management systems (BMS) are required to keep the temperature within the battery pack and cells below the safety limits and make the temperature distribution as even as possible. Batteries have a limited service life as a result of unwanted chemical reactions, physical changes that cause the loss of active materials in the structure, and internal resistance increase during the charging and discharging cycle of the battery. These changes usually affect the electrical performance of batteries. Battery life can be increased only by reducing or preventing unwanted chemical reactions. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are a suitable option due to their high specific energy and energy density advantages. In this study, the necessity of heat management is emphasized. The discharge tests of the Li-ion battery provided 94.6 Wh under 10C and 90.9 Wh under 1C.

Abstract This study investigates methods to precisely control a coolant pump in an internal combustion engine. The goal of this research is to minimize power consumption while still meeting optimal performance, reliability and durability requirements for an engine at all engine-operating conditions. This investigation achieves reduced fuel consumption, reduced emissions, and improved powertrain performance. Secondary impacts include cleaner air for the earth, reduced operating costs for the owner, and compliance with US regulatory requirements. The study utilizes mathematical modeling of the cooling system using heat transfer, pump laws, and boiling analysis to set limits to the cooling system and predict performance changes.

Abstract An accurate and rapid thermal model of an axle-brake system is crucial to the design process of reliable braking systems. Proper thermal management is necessary to avoid damaging effects, such as brake fade, thermal cracking, and lubricating oil degradation. In order to understand the thermal effects inside of a lubricated braking system, it is common to use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to calculate the heat generation and rejection. However, this is a difficult and time-consuming process, especially when trying to optimize a braking system. This article uses the results from several CFD runs to train a Stacked Ensemble Model (SEM), which allows the use of machine learning (ML) to predict the systems’ temperature based on several input design parameters. The robustness of the SEM was evaluated using uncertainty quantification.

Abstract This article focuses on the development of a two-way coupled methodology to predict gear temperature of oil jet lubricated transmissions using commercial software for computational fluid dynamics simulation. The proposed methodology applies an overset mesh technique to model the gear interlocking motion, multiphase of air-oil mixture, and heat transfer. Two gear pairs were used to develop and validate the methodology, an overdrive helical gear pair of a commercial vehicle transmission and a standard spur gear pair. Different oil jet lubrication methods were investigated using the proposed methodology, such as oil jet directed at the into-mesh position and at the out-of-mesh position. This investigation showed that out of mesh lubrication direction shows better cooling performance which is in well agreement with previous studies of literature.

Abstract Catalytic converters, a primary component in most automotive emissions control systems, do not function well until they are heated substantially above ambient temperature. As the primary energy for catalyst heating comes from engine exhaust gases, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that have the potential for short and infrequent use of their onboard engine may have limited energy available for catalytic converter heating. This article presents a comparison of multiple hybrid supervisory control strategies to determine the ability to avoid engine cold starts during a blended charge-depleting propulsion mode. Full vehicle and catalytic converter simulations are performed in parallel with engine dynamometer testing in order to examine catalyst temperature variations during the course of the US06 City drive cycle. Emissions and energy consumption (E&EC) calculations are also performed to determine the effective number of engine starts during the drive cycle.

Abstract The purpose of this article is to reduce the adverse effects of temperature rise on the electrical connector, reduce the failure risk of electrical connector due to the mismatch of current-carrying capacity selection, and improve the service life of the electrical connector. This article takes a certain type of vehicle electric connector as the research object. An accurate contact pair model of the electrical connector is established by SOLIDWORKS software. The force and thermoelectric coupling simulation analysis of the 3D solid model with reasonable load and boundary conditions was carried out by ABAQUS software. The results show that the insertion force and positive force of the electrical connector terminal are in line with the values specified in the standard.

Abstract In the case of electric vehicles, due to the charging current limitation of lithium battery at low temperatures (below -20°C), it has been proposed to heat the battery pack up to a suitable temperature range before charging through a liquid-heating plate with PTC. However, at a low state of charge (SOC), there is a question which one could take the place of battery pack to supply power for PTC when heating. So that off-board charger (OFC) has been considered to supply power for PTC in this paper. In order to control the current charging into the battery pack as less as possible at low temperatures, three control schemes of battery management system (BMS) are proposed and compared. Scheme 1: BMS controls the value of charging current request close to the working current of PTC. Scheme 2: BMS controls the value of charging voltage request to reach a state of relative balance. Scheme 3: BMS disconnects the pack from the charger and keeps the connection between PTC and charger.

Abstract Analysis and design of total temperature probes for accurate measurements in hot, high-speed flows remains a topic of great interest in aerospace propulsion and a number of other engineering areas. One can apply detailed computational methods for simultaneous convection, conduction and radiation heat transfer, but such approaches are not suitable for rapid, routine analysis and design studies. For these studies, there is still a place for low-order approximate methods, and that is the subject of this paper. Here, an enhanced, low-order model is presented that includes conduction with variable thermal conductivity, convection with varying convection coefficient, varying diameter (and thus area) along the length of the sensor and radiation, all implemented in a convenient MATLAB code.

Abstract A dynamic model of a multi-unit air conditioning (AC) system in a generic bus was developed to investigate different control strategies on the system performance and the cabin comfort level. In this study, a part-load condition was considered, where adopting a proper strategy for governing a multi-unit system is important. Simulink and Simscape toolbox from MATLAB (R2019a) were used to build up the real-time model by integrating a cooling system with a cabin sub-model. The cooling system consists of two independently controlled units, based on a Vapor Compression Cycle (VCC). The cabin is modelled using a moisture air network and is coupled with the cooling system to exchange heat with the refrigerant through the evaporators. Moreover, the sensible and latent loads are incorporated into the cabin by a thermal network.

Abstract As electric vehicles (EVs) begin to increase their market share in the transport sector, the efficiency of battery packs becomes critical to their performance. Within large battery packs, cell variations occur due to manufacturing processes but can also become prominent during operation due to ineffective thermal management and accelerated degradation of some cells. A battery management system (BMS) will generally account for variations in state of charge (SOC) for cells in series through balancing, but conventional BMSs do not tend to consider the imbalances of cells in parallel as their SOCs should eventually converge themselves. This can, however, lead to cells experiencing higher currents and therefore increased degradation compared to other cells within the pack.

Abstract This article presents a multistage, coupled thermal management simulation approach, informed by physical testing where available, to aid design decisions for PACCAR’s SuperTruck II hybrid truck cabin concept. Focus areas include cabin insulation, battery sizing, and sleeper curtain position, as well as heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) component and accessory configurations, to maintain or improve thermal comfort while saving energy. The authors analyzed weather data and determined the national vehicle miles traveled weighted temperature and solar conditions for long-haul trucks. Example weather day profiles were selected to approximate the 5th and 95th percentile weighted conditions. A daylong drive cycle was developed to impose appropriate external wind conditions during rest and driving periods.

Abstract Off-highway equipment are subjected to diverse environmental conditions, severe duty cycles, and multiple simultaneous operations. Due to its continuous, high-power adverse operating conditions, equipment are exposed to high thermal loads, which result in the deterioration of its performance and efficiency. This article describes a model-based system simulation approach for thermal performance evaluation of a self-propelled off-highway vehicle. The objective of developing the simulation model including thermal fidelity is to quantify the impact of thermal loads on vehicular system/subsystems performance. This article also describes the use of simulation models for driving architectural design decisions and virtual test replication in all stages of product development.

Abstract As emissions regulations continue to tighten, both from lower imposed limits of pollutants, such as nitrous oxides (NOx), and in-use and real-world testing, the importance of quickly heating the aftertreatment to operating temperature during a cold start, as well as maintaining this temperature during periods of low engine load, is of increasing importance. Perhaps the best method of providing the necessary heating of the aftertreatment is to direct hot exhaust gasses to it directly from the engine. For heavy-duty diesel engines that utilize turbochargers, this is achieved by fully bypassing the exhaust flow around the turbine directly to the aftertreatment. However, this disables a conventional turbocharger, limiting engine operation to near-idle conditions during the bypass period.

The paper was originally published with the authors in the incorrect order. The correct author order should be as follows: Charlotte Fossier, Université de Lyon Dennis Barday, Volvo Group Christophe Changenet, Université de Lyon Fabrice Ville, Université de Lyon Vincent Berier, Volvo Group

Abstract Insulating combustion chamber surfaces with thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) provides thermal efficiency improvement when done appropriately. This article reports on insulation heat transfer, engine performance characteristics, and damage modelling of “temperature swing” TBCs. “Temperature swing” insulation refers to the insulation material applied on surfaces of combustion chamber walls that enables selective manipulation of its surface temperature profile over the four strokes of an engine cycle. A combined GT Suite-ANSYS Fluent simulation methodology is developed to investigate the impact of thermal properties and insulation thickness for a variety of TBC materials for its “temperature swing” characteristics. This one-dimensional transient heat conduction analyses and engine cycle simulations are performed using scaled-down thermal properties of yttria-stabilized zirconia.