NAGA VENKATA SURENDRA GANNAMANI

Project: Full vehicle occupant safety during thermal runaway in modern battery electric vehicles.

Tools used: StarCCM+

Overview of the Work: Battery thermal runaway releases high-temperature gases such as CO, CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, and H₂. Ingress of these toxic gases into the cabin via the blower poses severe respiratory risks to occupants. The present study aims to digitally evaluate cabin gas concentrations during such events and ensure safe evacuation of occupants.

Description of the work:

• Pioneered an industry-first digital methodology to evaluate toxic gas ingress in vehicle cabins.
• Defined project scope and objectives, aligning them with safety standards for occupant protection.
• Conducted multi-component gas flow study on battery packs, analyzing mass flow and temperature profiles.
• Identified critical cells using hotspot analysis, optimizing cooling system efficiency and heat dissipation.
• Developed automation scripts to streamline simulation tasks, reducing turnaround time significantly.
• Reduced costly physical tests through digital-only evaluations, validating against test results.

Project: Aero-Thermal (CFD) and Structural Analysis on Non-Conformances of High pressure compressors in commercial aero Engines.

Tools Used: ANSYS WORKBENCH, ANSYS CLASSIC, HYPERMESH, Client Customized LCF lifting Tool and DARWIN.

Overview of the Work: A component is classified as Non-Conformed when it deviates from blueprint standards, either qualitatively or quantitatively. Such deviations may result from manufacturing processes, coatings, or inspection errors. Due to the high cost of aero-engine production, non-conforming parts cannot be discarded directly; a prior analysis determines whether they can be accepted or must be scrapped

Description of the work:

• Conducted non-conformance analysis on high-pressure compressors for Pratt and Whitney, identifying critical deviations impacting performance and compliance.
• Executed aero-thermal analysis using ANSYS FLUENT to investigate fluid dynamics at non-conformance locations, enhancing understanding of potential performance issues.
• Performed structural analysis, mapping boundary conditions for FEM sub-modeling of non-conforming components.
• Conducted LCF lifing analysis with customized client tools; evaluated fracture mechanics for compliance.
• Selected appropriate modeling approaches based on computational constraints and project requirements.
• Documented findings and presented recommendations on non-conforming parts, facilitating informed decision-making for acceptance or remediation.

Project Title: Thermal Management of Battery Electronics.

Project Statement: To develop an efficient passive cooling system for battery electronics by evaluating the Dominance of the three modes of heat transfer mechanisms.

Tool Used: STAR CCM+.

Overview of the Work: Battery electronics box (EE) is an interface between Battery and vehicle extraction points in the EV power train. These EE boxes in general contain high current carrying bus bars, Fuses, current sensors, contactor and voltage control components which generate heat under high currents that may affect the material properties and functioning of Electronics. Hence, a dedicated Thermal Management system is required for Battery electronics to dissipate the generated heat.

Description of the work:

• Conducted literature review on passive cooling technologies for battery electronics to inform design decisions.
• Performed validation of physics settings in STAR CCM through Analytical-Tool, Journal-Tool, and Tool-Tool methods.
• Analyzed effect of radiation coatings on temperature distribution in battery electronics system.
• Developed active thermo-electric cooling architecture for battery electronics system to improve thermal management efficiency.
• Evaluated three modes of heat transfer mechanisms to optimize passive cooling system efficiency.
• Utilized STAR CCM to execute all CFD simulations for thermal management analysis.