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

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.