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DEVELOPMENT THERMAL MANAGEMENT

© Mahle Behr

Electric mobility will be a key component of CO 2 -neutral individual
transportation over the long term. However, it requires a holistic
assessment of thermal management, that are an active control and an
utilisation of the heat flows within the vehicle. Mahle Behr developed a
refined thermal management approach which is the foundation for the
performance, cruising range, and service life of an electric vehicle.

FROM SIMPLE COOLING TO of the powertrain, cooling and air condi- to provide optimal media temperatures
COMPLEX THERMAL MANAGEMENT tioning of the vehicle has transformed to meet demand for efficient energy utili-
more and more into complex thermal sation and control the temperature of
Until a few years ago, the most impor- management. Of course, the increasing sensitive components, such as batteries
tant task in engine cooling was to protect diversification of the drive also means and electronics.
the engine block against overheating, that the number of variants of cooling In a classical, turbocharged combus-
especially under high loads. The engine tasks is greater. Thermal management is tion engine, three fundamentally inde-
cooling circuit typically consisted of the a key technology for the acceptance of pendent circuits are used – engine cool-
coolant lines, a pump, a compensating electric mobility, in terms of battery ser- ing, charge air cooling, and cabin air
tank, and a coolant radiator, which vice life and range, drive system perfor- conditioning –, FIGURE 1. The only cou-
transported the waste heat from the mance, and passenger comfort. pling is via the cabin air heater located
engine to the outside. In order to address the various thermal in the engine cooling circuit, and at the
But with requirements for fuel con- issues, coolant circuits at different tem- front end of the vehicle, where all three
sumption, emissions, and passenger com- perature levels are required. The pri- circuits dissipate their heat to the air
fort, as well as increasing electrification mary tasks of thermal management are flow.
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