mentor recently released a white paper on modeling the thermal management of an electric vehicle (ev) battery using one-dimensional and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (cfd) software.
a typical display using floefd. (mentor graphics)
as concern over the amount of fossil fuels being consumed by vehicles continues to grow, there is a desire for consumers to turn towards hybrid and electric vehicles. the white paper notes that the major design consideration for these new vehicles is the battery.
proper thermal management of ev batteries increases efficiency, performance, and preserves the life of the battery and therefore being able to study the thermal management of a design change is of critical importance in ensuring that the design is successful in the marketplace.
also, with tight parameters in which batteries will work best, ensuring proper thermal management is a difficult process, which can slow down design timeframes.
the white paper asks, “with the ever-shortening time constraints on auto manufacturers today, how can these system go through the numerous time consuming design iterations necessary for a best-in-class, reliable design?”
this is where mentor and its cfd offerings can step in to provide a boost for engineers.
the white paper continued, “both 1d and 3d cfd enable engineers to improve their understanding of fluid flow and engineering designs; and in many organizations, both are used to improve product and system design and to ensure performance targets are achieved throughout the operating cycle of interest.”
the paper goes on to explain how 1-d and 3-d cfd can be applied to thermal management studies of ev batteries, including when to choose 1-d over 3-d in the design process. the paper focuses on using flowmaster and floefd to work through the designs and indicates that both products enable engineers to analyze data without the need for a cfd expert.
the white paper concluded, “when concerned with analysis at the component level, floefd allows the study of detailed flow and thermal behavior of the thermal management system to ensure adequate performance of the battery pack.
“any unacceptable operation such as misguided flow patterns or extreme thermal gradients can be identified earlier in the design process; and because floefd is used concurrently in the mcad model, it can reduce simulation time by as much as 65 to 75% in comparison to traditional cfd tools.
“in conjunction, when the performance of the entire battery cooling system is the main concern, flowmaster can be used to analyze how the components interact, ensuring proper system performance. with the use of both floefd and flowmaster, engineers have access to the right tool at the right time for optimal design efficiency.”
download the free white paper at https://www.mentor.com/products/mechanical/resources/overview/thermal-management-of-an-ev-battery-packing-using-1d-and-3d-cfd-805eb548-1ac9-4b58-bd4c-d5a097b5bf78?cmpid=9948.
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