Definition and evaluation of control objectives for predictive thermal management of electric vehicles
Introduction
Thesis work is an excellent way to get closer to Traton and build relationships for the future. Many of today's employees began their Scania/Traton career with their degree project.
Background
Traton is developing the next-generation of advanced thermal management systems for electric vehicles. In electric vehicles, the thermal management of batteries is an essential component of the software functionalities to run the vehicle safely and efficiently.
The planning of the upcoming driving route or a charging session provides us with valuable information about the future power demands on the battery. This enables us to anticipate the thermal load on the battery to optimize the thermal management of the vehicle. Predictive control strategies offer promising solutions, but their effectiveness depends heavily on how control goals are defined, quantified, and evaluated. This Master Thesis will focus on formalizing the control objectives that will later be used in the design of predictive thermal management algorithms.
Objectives
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Identify and formalize key thermal management objectives (e.g., temperature regulation, energy efficiency, aging minimization).
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Define goals for different vehicle operation (e.g., driving and charging scenarios)
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Propose and develop control-oriented cost functions integrating the system constraints
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Explore trade-offs between different objectives (e.g., energy vs. aging vs. comfort)
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Assess robustness, sensitivity, and feasibility of different formulations
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Provide recommendations for real-time applicability
The thesis will focus on:
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Theoretical modelling and simulation
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Scenario-based analysis (urban driving, highway, fast charging, etc.)
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Evaluation of control goal definitions under uncertainty and disturbances
It will not involve hardware implementation or low-level controller design.
Job description
The work will include:
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Literature review of state-of-the-art approaches
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A structured framework for control goal definition
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Simulation results comparing different formulations
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Analysis of the results
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Summarize findings and provide recommendations for real-time implementation
You will work in a dedicated team of driven experts from many aspects of batteries, charging and thermal management of the vehicle. The thesis will provide theoretical support and validation for future integration.
Education/program/focus
Master’s student in Electrical Engineering, Energy Systems, Vehicle Engineering or equivalent with a background in control theory, automotive systems, or applied mathematics. Experience with simulation tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, Python) will be appreciated. You should have an interest in electric vehicles, battery technology and control.
Number of students: 1
Location: Traton R&D, Södertälje, Sweden
Start date: January 2026
Duration: ~ 20 weeks (Full-time)
Supervisors
Contact at Traton/Scania