Institution news
Please briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience with vehicle thermal management
Kevin Chow (KC): My role as senior aero-thermal engineer at HORIBA MIRA is fairly broad, covering aspects of thermal attribute development primarily on the left side of the V-cycle – that is, using simulation tools to predict performance and help guide the design by identifying problems and recommending potential alleviations ahead of physical production.
One of my “hats” as a simulation specialist is the prediction of thermal runaway and propagation, which a very tricky thing to predict due to the chaotic nature of thermal runaway and the physics involved. However, it provides an insight to help design engineers improve the resilience of battery packs when subject to thermal runaway.
What is the top challenge facing your industry at present?
KC: I have no doubt that for many of us, the immediate challenges we face are directly linked to the rapid pace of electrification in the automotive industry. Battery thermal management is a safety-critical aspect that must be managed and respected through the entire life of the vehicle to ensure that it is safe for anyone connected with the vehicle, be they users, bystanders or those involved in the shipping, maintenance, second hand markets and ultimately scrapping.
Another significant challenge is managing energy efficiency as there is far less “free” energy available to use in fully battery-electric vehicles, so consumers may need to choose between range or comfort. This is a challenge to engineer an efficient vehicle and control expectations, but also an opportunity for the engineering of more efficient systems to reduce the impact of hot or cold conditions.
How would you say your industry has evolved over the past five years?
KC: The rapid adoption of electrification has required OEMs to spend a great deal of time to pivot their existing base of experience with ICE-powered vehicles into the electric powertrains, and all of the challenges associated from that. Electrified powertrains and electric vehicles affect virtually all systems and attributes both inside the OEM as well as the wider community, including other industries too.
What developments are going on in your industry that may have an impact on the development of future thermal management systems and wider powertrain efficiencies
KC: One major development that has been lingering in the background but has seen a recent resurgence is that of fuel cells, specifically in commercial vehicles, when allied to electrified powertrains. Although not new, their application to road vehicles is particularly interesting and presents a few different challenges due to the large amount of low-grade heat produced, which makes efficient integration without over-complication particularly challenging, and even when taken in isolation presents a number of safety cases – high pressures, and flammability – which need to be accounted for throughout the development chain and end user.
Why is it important for engineers and industry to come together at this event and share best practice?
KC: Given the rapid progress made in the last few years, it’s important for engineers to keep abreast of modern developments, whether inside their field or in adjacent ones, as there are always advances in other areas that can have an impact in their specific domain.
This year's Vehicle Thermal Management Systems Conference and Exhibition will return to the British Motor Museum in Warwick on 5-6 June 2024.
VTMS16 will explore the necessity and complexity of battery analysis through differing simulation techniques and offer a system engineering approach to balancing duration, durability, and immersive coolant technologies.
For further details of this year's conference, visit the event website.