Advanced thermal management design improves the performance of heavy-duty vehicle silicon carbide inverters-CleanTechnica

2021-10-22 04:29:54 By : Mr. Jacky Chen

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The electrification of heavy-duty electric vehicles is an indispensable part of decarbonization, but the design of vehicle components must be able to handle more power while continuing to adjust the operating temperature.

Kevin Bennion, senior researcher and task leader of the silicon carbide inverter project, evaluated experimental thermal management techniques for electric drives. Photo taken by Dennis Schroeder of NREL

As electric vehicles (EVs) become more and more popular, innovative technologies must significantly improve system efficiency to meet growing energy demand. Although light-duty electric vehicles have been the focus of many electrification programs, heavy-duty trucks account for 39% of greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.

The electrification of heavy-duty electric vehicles is an indispensable part of decarbonization, but the design of vehicle components must be able to handle more power while continuing to adjust the operating temperature.

The state-of-the-art thermal management system developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in collaboration with John Deere is expected to significantly increase the power density of silicon carbide (SiC) inverters in heavy electric vehicle applications. In heavy-duty applications, the power inverter is responsible for controlling the power flow between DC and AC electrical systems to run vehicle systems, accessories, and motors, such as motors and generators. High-efficiency inverters are essential components for environmentally friendly vehicle alternatives (such as hybrid vehicles, all-electric vehicles, or fuel cell vehicles) that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Recent studies have shown that compared with previous pure silicon inverters, the power density of the improved inverter design has increased by 378%.

Kevin Bennion, a senior researcher and thermal management expert at NREL, said: "The key to NREL's silicon carbide thermal management design innovation is to increase the heat transfer coefficient, which allows the system to efficiently and continuously self-cool during operation with engine coolant." This design helps achieve unparalleled power density and enables the system to operate safely and efficiently."

The silicon carbide inverter thermal management system was tested on a John Deere hybrid loader, similar to the one shown in the picture. Photo courtesy of John Deere

Generally speaking, heavy vehicles require more power and higher torque than ordinary light cars during operation. NREL's leading research in the thermal management of wide band gap power modules helps reduce component footprint, improves performance and efficiency, and supports higher frequency operation of SiC inverters in heavy-duty applications.

However, the power output depends on the maximum temperature limit of the inverter power module, which has the risk of overheating and shutdown. Therefore, NREL researchers have developed the most advanced thermal management system to optimize system efficiency while adjusting the operating temperature of the SiC module directly cooled with 115°C water-glycol coolant. The technology developed by the NREL team has been extensively evaluated by the John Deere engineering team led by Dr. Brij Singh.

"Starting in 2015, NREL's contributions have been extremely valuable in successfully executing and completing influential tasks in the PowerAmerica project funded by the Department of Energy in collaboration with John Deere," said Dr. Singh. "This project led to an on-board demonstration of high-temperature SiC inverter technology."

A common strategy for thermal management of EV inverters is to run a fluid coolant in parallel on the surface of the components to transfer heat and quickly cool the system. The advanced system designed by NREL combines vertical jets with a cooling system based on micro-channels and micro-manifolds to extract heat from inverters and power modules. This design achieves an impressive heat transfer coefficient-up to 93,000 watts per square meter per degree Kelvin (W/[m2-K]) (W/[m2-K]), which is the fourth of the current commercial system Times more.

The illustration of a power module with an integrated radiator shows that the vertical jet extracts heat. NREL's integrated thermal management system uses a vertical jet to extract heat from the system. Picture of Emily Cousineau of NREL

In addition, the NREL design uses the existing diesel engine cooling system for a simplified engine coolant architecture. Traditional heavy-duty inverters require a separate cooling system to operate successfully while ensuring the durability of the inverter. By eliminating the need for a separate cooling circuit, NREL's novel thermal and thermomechanical research has enabled the inverter to achieve an astonishing 43 kW/liter power density. This is a 378% improvement over the benchmark silicon system.

Thermal and mechanical innovations in the silicon carbide design have significantly reduced the footprint of the inverter, creating a smaller and lighter system. Lighter overall weight and improved performance have obvious benefits for fuel efficiency and operating costs.

"Silicon carbide inverter technology stands out among all competing technologies in terms of energy efficiency, fuel economy, performance and system integration," Bennion said. "Due to the high cost of SiC power converters, the market adoption of this new technology is likely to occur where these factors are more important than the initial cost. We believe this inverter will have a significant impact on heavy machinery, aerospace and military applications ."

Learn more about NREL's transportation and mobility research.

The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy is to respond to energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative scientific and technological solutions to ensure the security and prosperity of the United States. learn more.

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