Thermal Management System for Battery Electric Heavy-Duty Trucks

On the path to decarbonizing road transport, electric commercial vehicles will play a significant role. The first applications were directed to the smaller trucks for distribution traffic with relatively moderate driving and range requirements, but meanwhile, the first generation of a complete portfolio of truck sizes is developed and available on the market. In these early applications, many compromises were accepted to overcome component availability, but meanwhile, the supply chain can address the specific needs of electric trucks. With that, the optimization towards higher usability and lower costs can be moved to the next level. Especially for long-haul trucks, efficiency is a driving factor for the total costs of ownership. Besides the propulsion system, all other systems must be optimized for higher efficiency. This includes thermal management since the thermal management components consume energy and have a direct impact on the driving range. The main function is to protect the components to ensure a long lifetime, especially in the case of the battery. Besides, the driver's comfort is another important function of the TM system. In the present study, the evolution of the thermal layout for an electric HD truck is explained. Based on the final layout, the modeled thermal system is challenged in different operation conditions, including demanding drive cycles as well as fast charging events. The results are analyzed regarding energy flows and the usage of the different components of the thermal system. From that, conclusions will be derived for the sizing of components to meet the requirements of electric HD truck applications.