Powertrain Thermal Management in Conventional, Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

In this paper, an overview on the main aspects related to powertrain thermal management in conventional, electric and hybrid vehicles is presented, with a wide literature review. After a discussion on the evolution of techniques for thermal management in conventional vehicles, both in steady and transient conditions, some specific aspects related to the operation of electric and hybrid vehicles are treated. The attention is then focused on the effects of thermal transients for energy management and control, both in conventional and in hybrid vehicles. In many cases, and particularly in series HEV, the thermal engine can operate in start-stop conditions, where thermal transients play a major role with respect to the prevailing use of internal combustion engines (ICE) in conventional vehicles. In spite of their significant influence on fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, these effects are mostly neglected in many studies on HEV management and control, where steady-state engine operation is usually considered. In the final part of the paper, the methodologies and the results obtained by the authors to account for engine thermal transients for energy management of a hybrid solar vehicle with series structure are presented and discussed.