This thesis characterizes the transient thermal response of a 12/16 External Rotor Switched Reluctance Machine (ERSRM) for an E-bike application. A method for calculating coil capacitance based on machine design parameters was introduced and implemented into a standard commercial Lumped Parameter Thermal Network (LPTN). A sizing criterion was proposed for the cuboid number in a physically accurate LPTN coil model design. This sizing criterion considers the change in model size with motor speed or forced convection. The LPTN with a more accurate calculation of capacitance within the coil and a known number of cuboids in the coil was validated with experimental results. An analytical proof was provided that a small number of capacitances is not sufficient to model a typical power-dense coil design. The validated model was used to study the impact of a more accurate capacitance calculation method on motor temperature. Both overload and rated operation were investigated. During overload conditions, it was found that the standard capacitance calculation from commercial software massively underestimated the heating rate and peak temperature of the coil hot spot, even with the same number of cuboids. The capacitance of the rest of the motor was able to be varied and investigated for its effects on cooldown dynamics. It was found that for short-time transients the coil could be assumed to act adiabatically in this operating range. Operating points across the operating envelope for the motor under study were mapped to determine the region where the adiabatic assumption could be made. It was shown that a transition occurred where the adiabatic assumption ceases to be valid. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This thesis deals with the thermal modelling of electric machines for traction applications using lumped parameter thermal modelling. A novel approach is presented for calculating and distributing thermal capacitance in motor coils. A 12/16 External Rotor Switched Reluctance Motor is characterized based on its transient thermal response and the novel methods proposed are validated. The sizing of a coil-based thermal model is discussed and a criterion for physical validity proposed. The validated model is used in a sensitivity analysis of coil and motor capacitances. For severe overload conditions and short periods, a result is obtained showing the coil can be modelled as adiabatic. Finally, a rated load condition is tested, and a transition is suggested between overload conditions and non-overload conditions.

The study considered development of a finite-element numerical simulation model for the analysis of fluid flow and conjugate heat transfer in a zero boil-off (ZBO) cryogenic storage system. A spherical tank was considered for the investigation. The tank wall is made of aluminum and a multi-layered blanket of cryogenic insulation (MLI) has been attached on the top of the aluminum. The tank is connected to a cryocooler to dissipate the heat leak through the insulation and tank wall into the fluid within the tank. The cryocooler has not been modeled; only the flow in and out of the tank to the cryocooler system has been included. The primary emphasis of this research has been the fluid circulation within the tank for different fluid distribution scenario and for different level of gravity to simulate all the potential earth and space based applications. The steady-state velocity, temperature, and pressure distributions were calculated for different inlet positions, inlet velocities, and for different gravity values. The simulations were carried out for constant heat flux and constant wall temperature cases. It was observed that a good flow circulation could be obtained when the cold entering fluid was made to flow in radial direction and the inlet opening was placed close to the tank wall. The transient and steady state heat transfer for laminar flow inside a circular microtube within a rectangular substrate during start up of power has also been investigated. Silicon, Silicon Carbide and Stainless Steel were the substrates used and Water and FC-72 were the coolants employed. Equations governing the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy were solved in the fluid region. Within the solid wafer, the heat conduction was solved. The Reynolds number, Prandtl number, thermal conductivity ratio, and diameter ranges were: 1000--1900, 6.78--12.68, 27--2658, and 300 µ m--1000 µ m respectively. It was found that a higher aspect ratio or larger diameter tube and higher thermal conductivity ratio combination of substrate and coolant requires lesser amount of time to attain steady state. It was seen that enlarging the tube from 300 µ m to 1000 µ m results in lowering of the fluid mean temperature at the exit. Nusselt number decreased with time and finally reached the steady state condition. It was also found that a higher Prandtl number fluid attains higher maximum substrate temperature and Nusselt number. A correlation for peripheral average Nusselt number was developed by curve-fitting the computed results with an average error of 6.5%. This correlation will be very useful for the design of circular microtube heat exchangers.

Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία αποτελείται από δυο μέρη. Στο πρώτο μέρος πραγματοποιήθηκε μεταβατική θερμική ανάλυση σε μια υγιή μηχανή και σε μια μηχανή με σπασμένη μπάρα και ακολούθησε σύγκριση των αποτελεσμάτων των δυο αναλύσεων. Στο δεύτερο μέρος έγινε σύγκριση των αποτελεσμάτων μιας μεταβατικής θερμικής ανάλυσης υγιούς μηχανής με αντίστοιχα πειραματικά δεδομένα. / Transient thermal analysis for healthy asychronous motor and for motor with broken bar to the motor.

Thermo-mechanical failure of components in planar-type solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is a major obstacle on the path to bringing this technology to commercial viability. The probability of material degradation and failure in SOFCs depends strongly on the local temperature gradients at the interfaces of different materials. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to accurately predict and manage the temperature fields within the stack, especially near the interfaces. In this work we consider three effects in detail. First, we analyze radiative heat transfer effects within the semi-transparent solid electrolyte and compared them to thermal conduction. We also, present the modeling approach for calculation of surface-to-surface exchange within the flow channels and from the stack to the environment. The simplifying assumptions are identified and their carefully justified range of applicability to the problem at hand is established. This allows thermal radiation effects to be properly included in overall thermal modeling efforts with the minimum computational expense requirement. Second, we developed a series of reduced-order models for the transient heating and cooling of a cell, leading to a framework for optimization of these processes. The optimal design is one that minimizes heating time while maintaining thermal gradients below an allowable threshold. To this end, we formulated reduced order models (validated by rigorous CFD simulations) that yield simple algebraic design rules for predicting maximum thermal gradients and heating time requirements. Several governing dimensionless parameters and time scales were identified that shed light on the essential physics of the process. Finally, an analysis was performed to assess the degree of local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) within porous SOFC electrodes, and through a simple scaling analysis we discovered the parameter that gives an estimate of the magnitude of LTNE effects. We conclude that because of efficient heat transfer between the solid and gas in the microscale pores of the electrodes, the temperature difference between gas and solid is often negligible. However, if local variations in current density are significant, the LTNE effects may become significant and should be considered.

Improving the climate system of cars is important since it is the largest auxiliary load in a standard vehicle with an increase of fuel consumption by up to 20%. In Electric Vehicles (EV) the range of the car is more limited than in a fossil fueled car; furthermore there is a limited waste heat available from the EV, approximately 2-3kW at 40oC for heating and defogging in winter. The goals of this report have been part of an existing European project (ICE) where the climate system of an electric minibus is being investigated. The specific objectives of this project were to develop a radiation model and integrate it in the existing thermal model of the cabin, validating the new model with existing experimental data, including the thermal model in the overall model of the complete vehicle and to use the existing AC-model to optimize the control with the aim of decreasing the energy consumption maintaining thermal comfort inside the cabin. The radiation model uses total radiation on a horizontal surface in order to calculate the radiation hitting the different parts of the car body and windows, finally the total radiative power entering the minibus is calculated. After including these calculations into the thermal model it could be seen that the results from the model in terms of cabin temperatures fit the experimental values surprisingly well. The control of the AC-system was optimized for a hot and sunny summer day in Italy which resulted in the AC-system working very hard following that the best control strategy was to reduce only the speed of the compressor in order to save energy. Calculations show that in the Normal European Driving Cycle (NEDC) the potential energy savings of following this control strategy can result in an energy saving of the AC-system by up to 27% compared to an unregulated case, with a maintained thermal comfort resulting in 4,2% increase in autonomy.

No description available.

<p>An emerging technology in the field of transient thermal management is thermal energy storage, or TES, which enables temporary, on-demand heat rejection via storage as latent heat in a phase-change material.  Latent TES devices have enabled advances in many thermal management applications, including peak load shifting for reducing energy demand and cost of HVAC systems and providing supplemental heat rejection in transient thermal management systems.  However, the design of a transient thermal management system with integrated storage comprises many challenges which are yet to be solved.  For example, design approaches and performance metrics for determining the optimal dimensions of the TES device have only recently been studied.  Another area of active research is estimation of the internal temperature state of the device, which can be difficult to directly measure given the transient nature of the thermal storage process.  Furthermore, in contrast to the three main functions of a thermal-fluid system--heat addition, thermal transport, and heat rejection--thermal storage introduces the need for active, real-time control and automated decision making for managing the operation of the thermal storage device. </p> <p>In this thesis, I present the design process for integrating thermal energy storage into a single-phase thermal management system for rejecting transient heat loads, including design of the TES device, state estimation and control algorithm design, and validation in both simulation and experimental environments. Leveraging a reduced-order finite volume simulation model of a plate-fin TES device, I develop a design approach which involves a transient simulation-based design optimization to determine the required geometric dimensions of the device to meet transient performance objectives while maximizing power density.  The optimized TES device is integrated into a single-phase thermal-fluid testbed for experimental testing.  Using the finite volume model and feedback from thermocouples embedded in the device, I design and experimentally validate a state estimator based on the state-dependent Riccati equation approach for determining the internal temperature distribution to a high degree of accuracy.  Real-time knowledge of the internal temperature state is critical for making control decisions; to manage the operation of the TES device in the context of a transient thermal management system, I design and test, both in simulation and experimentally, a logic-based control strategy that uses fluid temperature measurements and estimates of the TES state to make real-time control decisions to meet critical thermal management objectives. Together, these advances demonstrate the potential of thermal energy storage technology as a component of thermal management systems and the feasibility of logic-based control strategies for real-time control of thermal management objectives.</p>

Dans le cadre des applications transports, et plus particulièrement de "l’avion plus électrique", avec une demande toujours plus présente de réduction d’encombrement et de poids, la tendance est à l’intégration de plus en plus poussée des convertisseurs statiques. L’augmentation de leur densité de puissance et celle des contraintes thermiques, induites par l’environnement dans lequel ces structures sont localisées, deviennent de plus en plus critiques. La gestion thermique de ces dispositifs est assurée par des systèmes de refroidissement sur lesquels sont montés les composants semi-conducteurs via un matériau d’interface thermique. Une gestion performante sera obtenue par la diminution de la résistance thermique globale entre les éléments dissipatifs et le milieu ambiant grâce en autre à l’amélioration du système de refroidissement et des propriétés thermiques des matériaux constituant le module. Or cette interface est un point délicat du transfert de chaleur car elle peut représenter plusieurs dizaines de pourcents de la résistance thermique globale. Elle nécessite donc une connaissance approfondie de son comportement aux sollicitations thermiques. Après un état de l’art sur les matériaux d’interfaces thermiques et les méthodes de caractérisation des propriétés thermophysiques des matériaux, nous proposons la mise en œuvre d’outils expérimentaux et mathématiques permettant de suivre l’éventuelle évolution de matériaux d’interfaces utilisés en électronique de puissance au cours d’un vieillissement par cyclage en température. Pour cela, deux méthodes sont présentées. La première repose sur la mesure de la résistance thermique des interfaces en régime stationnaire avec un transfert de chaleur monodimensionnel alors que la seconde, basée sur une caractérisation transitoire thermique d’un système, permet d’en identifier les constantes de temps et le réseau Résistance-Capacité du système testé. Des travaux de simulations numériques ont été menés sur les deux types de bancs expérimentaux, d’un côté pour pouvoir évaluer les pertes thermiques latérales du banc statiques, de l’autre côté pour montrer qu’il est bien possible de détecter une variation de la résistance thermique d’un matériau d’interface par l’analyse de l’impédance thermique. / In the context of transportation applications, and especially the "more electric aircraft", with an ever present demand for space and weight reduction, the trend is to integrate more extensive of static converters. The increase in power density and the thermal stresses induced by the environment in which these structures are located, are becoming increasingly critical. Thermal management of these devices is provided by cooling systems on which are mounted the semiconductor components via a thermal interface material. Effective management will be achieved by reducing the overall thermal resistance between the dissipative elements and the environment by improving the cooling system and thermal properties of the materials constituting the module. However, this interface is a delicate point of heat transfer because it can represent several tens of percent of the circuit total thermal resistance. It therefore requires a thorough knowledge of their behavior in thermal stresses. After a state of the art on the thermal interface materials and methods for characterizing thermophysical properties of materials, we propose the implementation of experimental and mathematical tools to monitor any change of interface materials used in power electronics during aging by temperature cycling. For this, two methods are presented. The first is based on the measurement of the thermal resistance of the interfaces with a steady one-dimensional heat transfer, while the second, based on a characterization of a transient thermal system, allows to identify the time constants and the resistor and capacitor network of the tested system. Numerical simulations were carried out on two types of experimental benches, on one side in order to assess the lateral heat losses from static bench, on the other side to show that it is possible to detect a change in the thermal resistance of a TIM with the analysis of the thermal impedance.

This thesis focuses on the comparison of numerical simulation and optical measurement of deformation of the turbinehousing made by Honeywell company. The numerical calculation performed by finite element method to simulate transient thermal load on the measured entity. Numerical result of the strain state of the body caused by temperature gradients. To verify the simulation is used an experimental digital correlation method VIC-3D. The thesis also mentioned the theoretical foundations of digital correlation methods and thermal analysis.

<div>The evolution of existing building construction is envisioned as modular construction. Instead of on-site construction, buildings can be assembled on-site using prefabricated modular elements. These modular elements could integrate intelligent building technologies to enable autonomous, occupant responsive, scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable features. On-site assembly of modular construction elements would offer better quality control, decrease material waste and resources, with more predictable schedules. These building elements would allow more cost-effective integration of new intelligent sensors, adaptive interfaces, renewable energy and energy recovery technologies, comfort delivery, and resiliency technologies, making high-performance buildings more affordable. To explore and evaluate these modular and intelligent comfort delivery concepts and advanced approaches for interaction with occupants, a new Human-Building Interactions Laboratory (HBIL) has been designed and is under development. The facility has a modular construction layout with thermally active panels, and the interior surface temperature of each panel can be individually controlled using a hydronic system. Such configuration allows us to emulate different climate zones and building type conditions and perform studies such as the effect of different kinds of active building surfaces on thermal comfort, localized comfort delivery, and occupant comfort control. Moreover, each panel is reconfigurable to investigate different interior surface treatments for thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort conditions. <br></div><div>In this MS thesis work, the overall design approach of the facility is presented. Development, experimental investigation of thermal performance, and aligned design modifications of a prototype thermo-active wall panel are explained in detail. Detailed development of a 1-D transient numerical model for the prototype wall panel and its tuning and validation are also presented. Furthermore, the design and installation plan of the hydronic system for the HBIL facility are also presented with an initial commissioning plan.</div>