CFD simulation of electric vehicle thermal system and investigation of thermal insulation for cabin

Abstract

Heat generated in combustion engine is mainly considered as waste and the task of thermal management system of vehicle was to efficiently conduct waste heat away from the combustion engine. However, there is much less heat generated by the electric motor and thermal management is different in electric vehicle (EV). Powertrain, traction battery and passenger’s compartment are three main subsystems where heating, cooling and climate control system should be considered to provide efficient thermal conditioning. In this thesis, the thermal subsystems of the EV are modelled and integrated via 1D simulation using GT-Suite program to obtain a thorough study of heat loss within the vehicle. In 1D simulation, the performance of the system in both cooling and heating modes and in three use cases of 40, 80 and 120 kph are investigated. Based on the results of the 1D analysis, glass boundaries of cabin have the highest heat loss and incorporate high potential for energy saving. Thereafter, two insulation solution for cooling and heating modes are proposed and investigated in 3D simulation using Star-CCM+ program. As the final step insulation solutions are compared regarding energy saving, weight and commercial feasibility. This thesis work is done in collaboration with NEVS AB, Trollhättan, Sweden.