An optimally designed thermal management system should effectively control the component temperatures while using power efficiently.
THERMAL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
Thermal management systems play a crucial role in maintaining the safe operating temperatures of components. Effective thermal management ensures that components and systems will operate in a temperature range that maximizes performance and prevents degradation or system instability. GT-SUITE is an industry-leading thermal management tool used to analyze component and system pressure drop, flow distribution, and thermal performance. Its robust and powerful solvers easily handle all fluid types, including coolants and refrigerants, in a single model. Detailed component thermal models can accurately predict temperature distribution within a component in steady-state and transient conditions. In addition, powerful 3D tools enable rapid creation of 1D flow networks, under hood airflow, and thermal components directly from CAD geometry.
CHALLENGES IN THERMAL MANAGEMENT
In thermal management studies, engineers face several challenges that need to be addressed for efficient and effective system design. Some of the key challenges include:
Energy Efficiency
The physics-based models in GT-SUITE can help engineers investigate different system concepts and compare the benefits of different pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, and valves.
Temperature Uniformity
Maintaining uniform temperatures within components is important to prevent hot spots and ensure proper functioning of the system. Different types of components will also require different operating temperatures for optimal performance.
Whether the component is a battery pack, electric motor, power electronics, or combustion engine, GT-SUITE can model the details of the internal temperature distribution to ensure efficient operation and prevent component degradation.
Environmental Factors
Operating conditions such as ambient temperature, humidity, and altitude will impact the thermal performance of systems.
GT-SUITE simulations can account for these changes in ambient conditions to ensure that the thermal system is able to operate effectively in a wide range of environments.
Dynamic and Integrated Simulations
Thermal management systems need to be reactive to changes in the system inputs or boundary conditions.
The GT-SUITE solver simulates the transient response of the fluids and solid components in the thermal system to predict the system response to dynamic inputs. In addition, the fast computation time of GT-SUITE models enables SiL or HiL integration of controls components to develop effective control strategies.
GT SOLUTIONS FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT
GT-SUITE is an industry-leading thermal management tool used to analyze pressure drop, flow distribution, and performance. Its robust and powerful solvers easily handle all fluid types, including coolants and refrigerants, in a single model. Powerful 3D tools enable rapid creation of 1D flow networks and underhood airflow directly from CAD geometry. Thermal management models can be easily integrated with the vehicle and powertrain to optimize energy management.
In GT-SUITE batteries are optimized on the cell, module, and pack level. The temperature and current distribution within the cells and pack are simulated to predict the battery performance under a variety of dynamic conditions. These battery thermal models are integrated with the electrical system and coolant system to capture the transient effects on battery performance, heat generation rate, vehicle range, and more.
GT-SUITE provides a comprehensive platform for evaluating the thermal performance of all components. From batteries to motors and inverters, GT-SUITE offers a robust solution, allowing engineers to assess temperature distribution, manage thermal loads, and optimize the efficiency of electric powertrains. This powerful tool enhances design processes, reduces development time, and ensures the reliability and safety of electric vehicles.
GT-SUITE powertrain cooling models can be used to predict heat rejection to coolant, oil, and ambient, before engine hardware is available for physical testing. These models utilize a built-in finite element cylinder structure for more accurate predictions of heat distribution through the engine structure. Powertrain cooling models integrated with other vehicle systems can also be used to analyze engine warm-up and fuel economy during transient drive cycles. Construction of GT-SUITE engine thermal models is enhanced by powerful 3D tools for converting CAD geometry into GT models. The flexible range of fidelity provides an ideal simulation environment for system design, component selection, and controls optimization.
Refrigerant systems play an increasingly important role in modern thermal management systems. GT-SUITE’s highly-developed solver is robust and stable for two-phase circuits in transient conditions, even with zero flow. A vast library of refrigerant properties are included with the built-in property calculations from NIST REFPROP. GT-SUITE can model traditional A/C systems and heat pumps, supercritical CO2 systems, multiple branch systems and more. Refrigerant circuits can be easily integrated with coolant circuits, cabins, and vehicle and powertrain models for complete system thermal and energy management.
Models built in GT-SUITE enable rapid definition and calibration of cabins. The cabin model allows various design studies such as component layout choices in the A/C loop, or assessing the effect of different window glazings on the overall HVAC system performance. These cabin simulations can be used to provide boundary conditions to air conditioning loops with varying levels of zonal resolution.
Various technologies are being explored to make use of the hot exhaust gases from engines. Two of these technologies that can be modeled in GT-SUITE are Rankine cycle and TEG (Thermo Electric Generator) systems. These systems can be integrated with a GT-POWER engine model to predict energy recovery across a wide range of operating conditions.
Using GT-SUITE’s proven two-phase approach used in modeling air conditioning systems with fluid properties from NIST Refprop, Rankine cycle models are simulated to explore fuel savings and investigate advanced control strategies. Complex layouts including multiple heat exchanger stages and valving systems are supported.
Studies using TEGs include investigating new advanced Peltier-effect materials and different layouts for maximizing the amount of power generation between the hot and cold streams. Companies using GT-SUITE can reduce physical testing by finding optimal designs in simulation instead of trail-and-error testing.
In GT-SUITE you can design and run system simulations of complete aerospace environmental control systems (ECS) including air cycle machines (ACM) and refrigerant vapor-compression loops. Such models can be used to study the air supply ducting, pressurization, humidity control, and thermal management of cabins.
Beyond thermal and fluid, GT-SUITE supplies complete component libraries which simulate the physics of mechanical, electrical, magnetic, chemistry, and controls components as well. These libraries can be used to model avionics, fuel systems, gearboxes, transmissions, and more. This allows the possibility to integrate an ECS system with any other type of physical system to study interactions for both steady state and transient scenarios.
GT-SUITE can be used to model the complete water heater system at various fidelity levels, for both steady state operation as well as long transient tests. Inputs to the model can be variables to study changes of different materials, tank size, dip tube dimensions, gas burner design, electric element placement, and more.
Various types of water heaters can be modeled, including gas fired, heat pump, tankless, electric, boilers, and hybrid water heaters. Companies using GT-SUITE are able to reduce physical testing by finding optimal designs in simulation instead of trail-and-error testing.
GT THERMAL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS USE CASES
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* The following testimonials are actual experiences and results shared by GT customers. For confidentiality reasons, we’re not allowed to share the names of these customers.