Browse Topic: Waste heat recovery
The transition to software-defined vehicles (SDVs) necessitates a paradigm shift in both control strategies and vehicle architecture. The EU-funded R&D project SmartCorners addresses this challenge by developing integrated, modular, and scalable smart corner systems (SCS) that combine in-wheel motor (IWM)-based propulsion, brake blending, active suspension system, and steer-by-wire functionality in one module. These SCS can be retrofit or smoothly integrated into the highly adaptable skateboard chassis architecture of modern electric vehicles (EVs), enabling scalable deployment across diverse vehicle types. The central approach of this paper is the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to implement multi-layer, data-driven control strategies, facilitating real-time actuation, fault mitigation, and user-centric EV architecture. The SmartCorners project strives to demonstrate significant enhancements, including improved real-world driving range due to enhanced energy-efficiency, reduced component and system costs, and a cut-down in development time of EVs, enabled by digital-twin-based design methodologies. Beyond these performance gains, SmartCorners establishes the foundational principles of modularity, adaptability, and software integration that underpin the evolution toward SDVs. The role of thermal and cabin comfort control is completely different for EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles, with the latter using waste heat from the combustion of fossil fuels for cabin heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC). In EVs the required energy is directly taken from the traction battery and precise thermal and cabin comfort control affecting essential components of the vehicle but also the user-perceived driving experience. These project achievements highlight a critical bridge between innovation and electrification on component-level, and the holistic software-defined mobility systems of the future.
Thermal Management System (TMS) for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) incorporates maintaining optimum temperature for cabin, battery and e-powertrain subsystems under different charging and discharging conditions at various ambient temperatures. Current methods of thermal management are inefficient, complex and lead to wastage of energy and battery capacity loss due to inability of energy transfer between subsystems. In this paper, the energy consumption of an electric vehicle's thermal management system is reduced by a novel approach for integration of various subsystems. Integrated Thermal Management System (ITMS) integrates air conditioning system, battery thermal management and e-powertrain system. Characteristics of existing integration strategies are studied, compared, and classified based on their energy efficiency for different operating conditions. A new integrated system is proposed with a heat pump system for cabin and waste heat recovery from e-powertrain. Various cooling and heating strategies for battery are identified for different ambient temperatures. An ITMS valve functioning is explained for each scenario depending on vehicle operating condition and ambient temperature.
The thermoelectric generator system is regarded as an advanced technology for recovering waste heat from automotive exhaust. To address the issue of uneven temperature distribution within the heat exchanger that limits the output performance of the system, this study designs a novel thermoelectric generation system integrated with turbulence enhancers. This configuration aims to enhance convective heat transfer at the rear end of the heat exchanger and improve overall temperature uniformity. A multiphysics coupled model is established to evaluate the impact of the turbulence enhancers on the system's temperature distribution and electrical output, comparing its performance with that of traditional systems. The findings indicate that the integration of turbulence enhancers significantly increases the heat transfer rate and temperature uniformity at the rear end of the heat exchanger. However, it also leads to an increase in exhaust back pressure, which negatively affects system performance. At lower exhaust flow velocities, the gains in output power attributable to the turbulence enhancers considerably outweigh the increases in exhaust back pressure. Specifically, under conditions of 550 K and 20 m/s, the output power, net output power, and temperature uniformity coefficient increase by 39.2%, 33.6%, and 8.5%, respectively. As exhaust temperature rises, the gains from the turbulence enhancers become even more pronounced. Nevertheless, under high flow conditions, the rise in exhaust back pressure can potentially degrade the system's net output performance. Therefore, it is recommended that exhaust flow be appropriately diverted in practical applications to ensure optimal performance. This research provides essential theoretical guidance for the design and performance optimization of automotive thermoelectric generation systems.
This paper has been withdrawn by the publisher because of non-attendance and not presenting at WCX 2024.
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have fabricated a novel device that could dramatically boost the conversion of heat into electricity. If perfected, the technology could help recoup some of the recoverable heat energy that is wasted in the U.S. at a rate of about $100 billion each year.
For electric vehicles (EVs), driving range is one of the major concerns for wider customer acceptance and the cabin climate system represents the most significant auxiliary load for battery consumption. Unlike internally combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, EVs cannot utilize the waste heat from an engine to heat the cabin through the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Instead, EVs use battery energy for cabin heating, this reduces the driving range. To mitigate this situation, one of the most promising solutions is to optimize the recirculation of cabin air, to minimize the energy consumed by heating the cold ambient air through the HVAC system, whilst maintaining the same level of cabin comfort. However, the development of this controller is challenging, due to the coupled, nonlinear and multi-input multi-output nature of the HVAC and thermal systems. Furthermore, the controller must satisfy different control requirements by leveraging multiple control actuators whilst simultaneously respecting multiple control and system constraints. A Model Predictive Controller has been used to reduce the control complexity of a conventional controller that requires many heuristic control laws and significant calibration effort. The control solution has been realised for an industrialized application, respecting typical embedded control hardware solutions, minimizing computational effort and memory requirements. This paper introduces a development approach utilizing Adaptive Model Predictive Control (AMPC) to address the challenges above, leading to the demonstration in a vehicle (Jaguar I-PACE) over the UDDS cycle on a climatic chassis dynamometer. The structured development approach improves the efficiency and flexibility of setting-up advanced control solutions.
Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) convert ambient heat into electrical power. They enable maintenance-free, environmentally friendly, and autonomous power supply of the continuously growing number of sensors and devices for the Internet of Things (IoT) and recovery of waste heat. Scientists have now developed three-dimensional component architectures based on novel, printable thermoelectric materials.
Cogeneration equipment based on hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cell has become one of the most economical and flexible low-carbon distributed power supply equipment, which has been widely concerned in scientific research and commercial promotion. The optimized integration of the system is the key step to realize commercialization. This paper focuses on the analysis of the technical status of the key components of combined heat and power (CHP) system and put forward the theoretical design method and operation strategy of each subsystem for a 10kW CHP system based on PEMFC. Firstly, for the air supply subsystem, it was found that when the back pressure valve was placed behind of the membrane humidifier, the air humidity of stack inlet increased gradually with the increase of current density, which presented a contrary trend from that at the front. The pressure difference inside the membrane humidifier was obviously reduced. Secondly, in addition to recovering the waste heat from coolant, an operation strategy that preheating the coolant by stored hot water was proposed, which helped to save the system cost due to coolant heater and improve the overall efficiency. The construction of the 10kW CHP system in this paper provides a guidance for the design and integration of CHP system based on PEM fuel cells.
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