Precision cooling for CO2 reduction

Research Project, 2017 – 2022

Cooling of batteries, electric motors and combustion engines leads to waste of heat. To limit heat losses, save energy and reduce CO2, it is necessary to develop advanced precision cooling for enhanced local heat transfer concentrated in the hottest regions. Using precision cooling requires good knowledge of the impact on heat transfer. Simulation methods have to be developed for accurately predicting the local cooling in order to avoid over-cooling, retain nucleate boiling and more important, to prevent film boiling which leads to sudden cease of cooling and is devastating. The main goal of this project is to develop CFD simulation methodologies that take into account the impact of nucleate boiling and surface structure on heat transfer. The work will be carried out by one PhD student. Combustion engine tests, carried out at Volvo Cars and Volvo GTT, will provide boundary conditions and the impact of boiling and surface structure modifications will be studied.