Heavy-Duty Vehicle Thermal Management

NREL researchers help heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers and operators assess and deploy energy-efficiency technologies to mitigate high fuel costs and meet more stringent idling regulations.

Advanced Thermal Systems

NREL's CoolCab thermal management project focuses on optimizing truck heating and cooling systems to improve efficiency while reducing operating expenses, fuel consumption, and emissions. Researchers explore technologies and methods to improve truck cab heat transfer and climate control system performance, and work with vehicle and component manufacturers to develop effective solutions. Using analysis and modeling techniques, researchers assess the energy saving potential of advanced materials and equipment—including films, paints, advanced insulation, micro-environmental design, and idle reduction technologies—for heavy-duty vehicles.

While heavy-duty vehicles and advanced thermal management technologies undergo assessment at an outdoor test pad, researchers also use computer-based modeling tools to evaluate performance.

Enhancing the thermal performance of truck cabs will enable smaller, lighter, and more cost-effective idle reduction solutions.

Electric Truck Battery Thermal Management

In support of national clean-energy goals, the trucking industry is beginning a transition to alternate fuel vehicles, such as Class 8 electric trucks. We complete systematic thermal analysis for battery packs installed in heavy-duty electric trucks. We combine innovative approaches to battery cooling, such as liquid cooling of the battery pack and reutilizing conditioned cabin air, with integrated battery testing and multiphysics modeling to address solutions' viability.

Our thermal management strategies can improve battery performance, extend battery life, improve HVAC system efficiency, and facilitate truck hybridization.

Models and Tools

NREL's vehicle thermal management models and tools are available for researchers and outside partners to simulate climate control energy use and calculate the potential benefits of thermal load reduction options.

CoolSim: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Model

CoolCalc Truck Cab Climate Simulation Tool

VSOLE: Vehicle Solar Load Estimator

Publications

Cabin Thermal Management Analysis for SuperTruck II Next-Generation Hybrid Electric Truck Design, Journal of Commercial Vehicles (2021)

Contact

To learn more about our heavy-duty vehicle thermal management research or explore partnership opportunities, please reach out.