This thesis aims to develop a flexible and time-efficient framework for machine design optimization that considers driving cycles,... Show moreThis thesis aims to develop a flexible and time-efficient framework for machine design optimization that considers driving cycles, multiphysics domains and current design. The proposed development of the framework is based on the enhancement of three key aspects in the machine design process. A data mining algorithm – the X-means – is employed in the driving cycle analysis, to establish a trade-off between the optimization objectives and the computational intensity. A novel vibration surrogate model is proposed to evaluate the vibroacoustic behavior of the machine in an accurate and time-efficient way. In the identification process, the time effectiveness of the model is attained with a minimized number of finite element simulations. Furthermore, the principle of simultaneous coupled optimization is considered in the framework, where current design variables are included in the optimization environment to allow identifying design candidates with improved performance. Show less
With continuing efforts to improve energy and power density of Li-ion batteries, heat generation and thermal safety remain critical barriers... Show moreWith continuing efforts to improve energy and power density of Li-ion batteries, heat generation and thermal safety remain critical barriers to commercial success. Energy conversion in a battery is an exothermic process. Whenever the temperature of lithium-ion batteries increases, there can be direct consequences-reduced calendar and cycle life and higher risk of a battery re or explosion. Conventional approaches to prevent overheating use active thermal management systems, such as air conditioning or liquid cooling. However, these systems can be costly, bulky, and consume energy during operation. In addition they o er no overheat protection while the application or the vehicle is powered down. Phase change material composites (PCC) can be employed to rapidly absorb heat from the battery and distribute it, thereby enabling lightweight and compact packs with extended cycle-life and safety. This thesis proposes an online temperature estimation technique for a novel intelligent battery thermal management to actively monitor thermal mass of the phase change material. Such a system will not only enable avoidance of thermal issues, but will extend life of the battery pack by optimally selecting the operating point of the Energy Storage System. It can also be used to predict when active cooling should be employed just before the battery exits the phase change temperature plateau, to ensure latent heat absorption is spread across the entire drive cycle. M.S. in Electrical Engineering, July 2016 Show less
