Optimization of Combination among Key Components at Air Side in Vehicle Thermal Management System

In this paper, the basic data of vehicle thermal management system (VTMS) are obtained from VTMS bench test. A 1-D model of VTMS is built in KULI software, and comparison between simulation result and test data proves that the model can simulate practical situation well. Then several combinations of key components at air side (radiator, charge air cooler and fan) in VTMS, which are obtained by DoE (design of experiment) technology, are computed in KULI. Finally, the simulation result is analyzed in Microsoft Excel and SPSS, and an optimal combination is acquired, which can not only ensure enough cooling capacity but also reduce engine power consumption remarkably. The method of combination of software and design of experiment in this paper is very useful to design and optimize VTMS and other related systems.