Electro-thermal co-design for next-generation EV energy systems
By Nenad Miljkovic on 10/02/2025 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in 1611 Titan Dr., Rantoul, IL 61866
Join Nenad Miljkovic of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as he presents in person at the Fall 2025 Kent Seminar Series Thursday, October 2 from 2-3 p.m. (CT).
The Fall 2025 semester is set to feature 13 presentations, each addressing a topic related to electrification in mobility.
Pizza and soft drinks will be provided beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the ICT Classroom.
All presentations will be held on Zoom, but some speakers will present in person at ICT.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://go.illinois.edu/KentSeminar
Meeting ID: 881 1157 1273
Passcode: 462549
Abstract and Bio
Electric vehicles use heat pumps for cabin heating and cooling, but performance drops under extreme conditions. This talk presents a dynamic modeling study of EV energy management using a MATLAB-Simscape testbed for fast-charging scenarios. The model identified three key challenges: frosting in cold climates, battery thermal management, and vapor-injection compression strategies. Follow-on experiments explored frosting and battery management in vapor-compression heat pumps charged with R134a and CO₂ under varying conditions. The results show how coupling virtual models with system-level experiments can pinpoint innovations to improve fast charging and accelerate EV adoption.
Miljkovic is the Founder Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds courtesy appointments in electrical and computer engineering and the Materials Research Laboratory, and directs the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center, supported by 21 industry partners. His research spans thermo-fluid science, interfacial phenomena, scalable nanomanufacturing, and renewable energy. His group develops energy and thermal systems with applications in electrified transportation, power generation, and climate control. He has published widely in these fields, and his work is advancing next-generation technologies that improve energy efficiency and enable rapid adoption of electric vehicles.