Power Flow Simulation and Thermal Performance Analysis of Electric Vehicles Under Standard Driving Cycles
Jafar Masri, Mohammad Ismail, Abdulrahman Obaid
Abstract
This paper presents a simulation framework for evaluating power flow, energy efficiency, thermal behavior, and energy consumption in electric vehicles (EVs) under standardized driving conditions. A detailed Simulink model is developed, integrating a lithium-ion battery, inverter, permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), gearbox, and a field-oriented control strategy with PI-based speed and current regulation. The framework is applied to four standard driving cycles—UDDS, HWFET, WLTP, and NEDC—to assess system performance under varied load conditions. The UDDS cycle imposes the highest thermal loads, with temperature rises of 76.5 °C (motor) and 52.0 °C (inverter). The HWFET cycle yields the highest energy efficiency, with PMSM efficiency reaching 92% and minimal SOC depletion (15%) due to its steady-speed profile. The WLTP cycle shows wide power fluctuations (−30–19.3 kW), and a motor temperature rise of 73.6 °C. The NEDC results indicate a thermal increase of 75.1 °C. Model results show good agreement with published benchmarks, with deviations generally below 5%, validating the framework’s accuracy. These findings underscore the importance of cycle-sensitive analysis in optimizing energy use and thermal management in EV powertrain design.