De Rosa, Raffaele (2025) Development of Innovative Systems for Enhancing Cooling in Power Electronics for Railway Traction: Minimizing Energy Consumption for Safe, Sustainable, and Comfortable Collective Mobility. [Tesi di dottorato]

Documento PDF DeRosa_Raffaele_37.pdf Visibile a [TBR] Amministratori dell'archivio Download (15MB) | Richiedi una copia

Abstract

This thesis explores the development of innovative systems to enhance the cooling perfor�mance of power electronics in railway traction, a critical aspect of modern, sustainable transportation. As the electrification of the transport sector accelerates, driven by global goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality, the efficient opera�tion of power electronics becomes increasingly important. Effective thermal management is key to ensuring the reliability, safety, and longevity of these systems, which must handle high power loads and substantial heat generation. In railway applications, cooling systems are often significant in size due to the require�ments of large-scale power electronics. Proper sizing ensures reliable operation of electronic components while reducing the energy demands of the cooling system, addressing both performance and efficiency. This research in this PhD thesis focuses on reducing the energy consumption required for cooling electronic components in electric trains, while maintaining ideal temperatures. The study presents an advanced optimization methodology for improving cooling systems, particularly Liquid Cold Plates (LCPs), which are widely used for heat dissipation. By refining key geometric and operational parameters—such as fin structure and channel design—the proposed systems significantly enhance heat transfer efficiency. A central aspect of the work is the implementation of an automated optimization algorithm using open-source tools like OpenFOAM for Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations and Simcenter AMESim for system-level modeling. The algorithm evaluates a range of LCP design parameters, automatically generating and simulating different configurations to find the most efficient solutions. The primary objective is to reduce both the maximum temperature and the pressure drop of the LCP, ensuring effective thermal regulation. This work also presents a methodology for the hydronic balancing of battery thermal management systems for hybrid (Diesel-electric) trains, in order to maintain batteries within specific temperature ranges and ensure thermal uniformity across the modules arranged in parallel. The results demonstrate substantial improvements in thermal performance, with reductions in temperature hotspots and pressure drops, leading to more energy-efficient cooling solutions. As part of an industrial PhD program, these studies aimed at finding practical so�lutions applicable in the real world, also considering their manufacturability and their cost-effectiveness, proposing designs that are both efficient and practical for large-scale production. By integrating these optimized cooling systems into the broader thermal management framework for railway traction, this research contributes to the development of safer, more sustainable, and energy-efficient public transportation. The present work is the result of a collaboration among the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Naples Federico II (Naples, IT), the Department of Engineering of the the University of Sannio (Benevento, IT), the traction division of Hitachi Rail STS. (Napoli, IT) and the Advanced Engineering Centre of the University of Brighton (Brighton, UK).

Downloads

Actions (login required)

Modifica documento