Thermal Energy Storage Strategies for Engine Peak and Emergency Cooling

To enhance the heat dissipation capacity of the engine cooling system without increasing its energy consumption and to address the challenge of short-term high-power peak heat loads, this paper proposes an engine cooling system integrated with a thermal energy storage (TES) module based on phase change material (PCM). A one-dimensional simulation model of the PCM-Assisted cooling system was established, and the system's heat dissipation performance under WLTC and NEDC was studied through simulations at an ambient temperature of 40℃. The results indicate that: when the ambient temperature is 40℃ and maximum heat-producing power of the engine is 500kW, the TES module can inhibit the temperature rise of the coolant under peak heat dissipation power. The peak coolant temperature can be reduced by 6.8℃ under WLTC and 6.3℃ under NEDC, respectively. Additionally, under the simulated conditions discussed in this paper, if the cooling system fan shuts down due to a fault, the TES module can undertake the cooling function for a certain period, effectively extending the normal operation time of the engine.