Thermal Models of Electric Powertrain Components for Cooling System Simulation and Design Requirements
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Date
2019-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
The powertrain of a typical electric vehicle consists of a battery pack, an electric machine, a control system, and a cooling system. As these components operate, their inefficiencies generate heat that must be dissipated. In high-performance electric vehicles for racing applications, thermal limitations in the electric machine or the motor controller could significantly reduce the power output of the motorcycle. To prevent thermal limitations, simulations using thermal models must be performed to determine the cooling system specifications required.
The purpose of this research is to develop a thermal model of Buckeye Current’s electric powertrain and determine cooling system requirements based on the power demand of the Isle of Man TT Zero from a full-vehicle simulation.
Physics based thermal models of the components have been developed and implemented in Simulink, then integrated with the simulation software already developed by the Buckeye Current team for race performance prediction. An initial calibration of the model parameters was conducted using data from the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) race and testing in 2017, along with supplier datasheet information. The thermal models developed predict the heat generation and temperatures of key components based on the current and power demand imposed to the components from lap time simulations. The completed model was utilized as a design tool to conduct thermal analysis of different powertrain configurations to create an optimized cooling system.
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Keywords
Electric Powertrain, Electric Vehicle, Cooling System Design, Thermal Models, Electric Machine, Motor Controller