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The battery has emerged as the most prominent energy storage device to meet changing consumer needs in both the electric mobility and stationary energy storage industries.  In fact, all major vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have goals to aggressively electrify their fleets, adding electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) to their selections—some are even promising to go fully electric in just a few years. As a result, many engineers who have typically worked on conventional vehicles are now being asked to work on EVs and HEVs. As these engineers face the challenges of designing new technologies, the need for modeling and simulation tools for the creation of robust thermal management strategies is critical....

Simulating a drive cycle can have many benefits. Several hot topics right now include improving fuel economy and emissions measures, but there's another way simulating a drive cycle can help you optimize a new vehicle design. A drive cycle simulation can help you predict transient thermal behavior and maximize the capabilities of powertrain and exhaust components. To do this, you need to simulate the thermal activity of these components over a drive cycle—which isn't easy to do....

A Brief Overview of Exhaust Simulation A proper model of your exhaust system provides a critical boundary condition for your underhood/underbody thermal management. Many different simulation methods are chosen today based on the level of fidelity that is required and the boundary conditions that are available. There are four widely recognized methods for simulating exhaust systems....

Packaging constrictions in new vehicles dominate the positioning and organization of components within the engine compartment. With less space and more temperature sensitive components, (plastics for lightweighting, infotainment, and electrical components) thermal management becomes an increasingly critical aspect of vehicle design. Component hot spots can lead to safety, durability, and warranty issues. Careful consideration of component placement and heat shields is mandatory to avoid costly late-stage fixes....

Understanding the thermal behavior of underbody components can help an engineer balance the priorities and tightening restrictions for vehicle design. The underbody of a vehicle experiences some of the most thermally dramatic scenarios for which there is no simple solution. By using a method that provides accurate thermal predictions, engineers can assess a variety of design options early in the product development cycle. These predictions will provide a better understanding of the thermal behavior the vehicle will undergo under both extreme and common scenarios....