Your browser doesn't support javascript. This means that the content or functionality of our website will be limited or unavailable. If you need more information about Vinnova, please contact us.

Modelling of warming up and cooling down of hybrid vehicle components as an effect of surrounding air flows.

Reference number
Coordinator Volvo Personvagnar Aktiebolag - Avd 91700 Environment & Fluid Dynamics Centre
Funding from Vinnova SEK 1 310 000
Project duration August 2016 - December 2017
Status Completed
Venture Electronics, software and communication - FFI
Call 2015-06893-en
End-of-project report 2016-02487.pdf(pdf, 239 kB) (In Swedish)

Important results from the project

The goal of this study was to create a simulation model that takes the thermal behaviour of electrical components in a hybrid electric vehicle into account. It should comprise the effect of the ambient temperature as well as the internal thermal losses that influence surface temperatures and heat pick-up of the coolant. To validate the model, multiple test cases were measured on an XC60 PHEV. The comparison of the simulation with the test results showed satisfactory behaviour in most points.

Expected long term effects

The developed model shows good agreement with measured temperatures on the component surface. Even though the first results were promising, further development will be necessary to capture more effects and more components. With this further development, the model will facilitate future virtual development of electrified vehicles and further reduce the amount of prototypes and needed tests.

Approach and implementation

The model was built on the base of a Volvo XC60 PHEV production car, but could easily be applied to any other electrified car. The car was tested under different driving conditions in the VCC climate wind tunnel, to provide boundary conditions and validation data for the numerical model. The numerical model was set-up in the commercial CFD software StarCCM+.

The project description has been provided by the project members themselves and the text has not been looked at by our editors.

Last updated 25 November 2019

Reference number 2016-02487