Title: Unmanned autonomous ground hybrid vehicle thermal management system: design and control

Authors: Junkui (Allen) Huang; Shervin Shoai Naini; Richard Miller; Denise Rizzo; Katie Sebeck; John Wagner

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA ' US Army CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center, Warren, MI 48092, USA ' US Army CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center, Warren, MI 48092, USA ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA

Abstract: Modern autonomous hybrid vehicles are required to have longer range, better fuel economy and operate in diverse climate conditions which challenges cooling system design. This paper examines a heat pipe based thermal management system for the vehicle's powertrain components (electric motors, battery pack, and engine). Mathematical models were developed to describe the components' thermal behavior. Nonlinear controllers were designed to maintain the components' temperatures about their reference values by regulating multiple actuators for minimised temperature fluctuations and energy consumption. Numerical results considered various road grades and ambient conditions to demonstrate the thermal management system robustness. Simulation results show that the component temperatures were successfully maintained about their reference values with a small tracking error using the proposed thermal management system. The findings also show the ability to minimise energy through the integration of heat pipes and smart actuators.

Keywords: heat pipe; thermal management; hybrid vehicle; battery cooling; electric motor cooling; nonlinear control.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVP.2020.109191

International Journal of Vehicle Performance, 2020 Vol.6 No.3, pp.356 - 379

Received: 29 Nov 2019
Accepted: 24 Jan 2020

Published online: 01 Sep 2020 *

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