Modeling and Analysis of a Liquid-Cooled Heat Sink for Inverters Used in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Authors

Keywords:

eletric vehicles, liquid cooling, traction inverters, thermal modeling

Abstract

This study presents the experimental characterization and dynamic thermal modeling of a liquid-cooled inverter heatsink for electric vehicle traction applications. The proposed approach considers the entire inverter housing as the heatsink and experimentally validates its thermal behavior under realistic operating conditions. Specifically, the heat transfer system was modeled using a Cauer equivalent circuit. The characterization yielded a thermal resistance of 16.75 m°C/W and a thermal capacitance of 6444.3 J/°C. The model validation was performed on a dynamometer bench with the inverter operating at an input power of 65.86 kW. Under these conditions, the system dissipated 2.34 kW of total power losses, resulting in average IGBT case temperatures of approximately 77 °C. The comparison between the experimental measurements and the model estimates, which predicted a case temperature of 80.48 °C, demonstrates the accuracy and reliability of the developed thermal model for this inverter-heatsink configuration.

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Author Biographies

L. M. Abdalla, Instituto Hercílio Randon

Leonardo Meinerz Abdalla was born in Santa Rosa, RS, Brazil, in 1997. He received the B.S degree in Control and Automation Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, in 2023, and completed a specialization in Automotive Engineering at Anhanguera, Brazil, in 2025. He is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Occupational Safety Engineering, expected to finish in September 2026. His main field of study is electrical and automotive engineering. He works as a Science and Technology Analyst at Instituto Hercilio Randon, located in Farroupilha, RS, Brazil. His experience includes volunteer participation in SAE competitions and activities related to research, development, and normative testing. His current and previous research interests include power electronics, electric machines, traction inverters, vehicle electrification systems, normative tests and test benches, patent search and prospecting, smart grids, fuel cells and hydrogen, as well as solar energy systems. He also aims to contribute to initiatives focused on technological innovation and the development of solutions for mobility and energy.

Paulo Henrique Conrado, Instituto Hercílio Randon

Paulo Henrique Conrado was born in Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil, in 1989. He received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS), Caxias do Sul, Brazil, in 2017, and the postgraduate degree in project management from the Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV), Brazil, in 2020. He is currently pursuing the M.S. degree in electrical engineering with the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. He has over 10 years of experience in the industrial sector, focusing on the development and management of electrical engineering projects. He works as a Researcher of Innovation, Science and Technology at Instituto Hercilio Randon, located in Farroupilha, RS, Brazil. His current research interests include electric mobility technologies, specifically the development of axial flux electric machines and static converters for electric and hybrid vehicles to promote alternative propulsion solutions.

A. R. Rauber, Instituto Hercílio Randon

Augusto Rodrigues Rauber was born in Cerro Largo, RS, Brazil, in 2000. He received the degree of Electrical Engineer from the Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missoes (URI), Santo Angelo, RS, Brazil, in 2023. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in electromagnetic devices at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, with expected completion in 2026. He is currently working as a Science and Technology Analyst at Instituto Hercilio Randon, Farroupilha, RS, Brazil. His current research interests include electromagnetic devices and related technologies.

L. R. Colpo, Instituto Hercílio Randon

Leonardo Roso Colpo was born in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, in 1995. He received the degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, in 2019 and received the master’s degree at the same institution in 2021. He’s currently at the last year of his PhD Degree, focusing on vehicle dynamics, vibration control, and human biodynamics. His research activities involve modeling and simulation of full-vehicle systems, development of biodynamic human models, and the application of machine learning techniques, such as artificial neural networks, for vibration attenuation and comfort optimization. He has published works in national and international conferences addressing advanced control strategies and vibration analysis applied to automotive systems. He works as a Researcher of Innovation, Science and Technology at Instituto Hercilio Randon, located in Farroupilha, RS, Brazil. Also, it’s a member of the technical committee of Baja Sae Brasil National and Regional student competitions.

F. Bruschi, Instituto Hercílio Randon

Felipe Bruschi was born in Bento Goncalves, RS, Brazil, in 1999. He received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, in 2024. His major field of study was electrical engineering, with specialization in power electronics. During his undergraduate studies, he completed an international academic exchange at the Universita di Parma, Parma, Italy, from 2022 to 2023, through a sandwich program associated with UFSM. He is currently a Science and Technology Analyst at Instituto Hercilio Randon, Farroupilha, RS, Brazil. His professional experience includes research, development, and normative testing activities, as well as hardware development for industrial embedded systems and motor drives, working from system concept to final delivery. He has also participated in activities of an IEEE Student Branch. His current and previous research interests include power electronics, electric machines, traction inverters, vehicle electrification, embedded hardware for industrial applications, normative testing, and test benches.

D. A. B. Zambra, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Diorge Alex Bao Zambra was born in Ijui, RS, Brazil, in 1980. He received the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Universidade Regional do Noroeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Ijui, Brazil, in 2003, and the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil, in 2006 and 2010, respectively. He also received a postgraduate certificate in University Management from the Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil, in 2014. He has held academic positions in both public and private institutions. From 2009 to 2017, he was with the Universidade de Caxias do Sul, where he taught in the undergraduate Electrical Engineering Program and in the Professional Master’s Program in Mechanical Engineering. Since 2018, he has been with the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Tramandai, Brazil, where he is a professor in the Energy Management Engineering Program. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Instituto Hercilio Randon, working on the development of power inverters for automotive applications. His research interests include power electronics, particularly inverter design, modulation techniques, and control strategies applied to industrial, automotive, and alternative energy generation systems.

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Published

2026-08-30

How to Cite

Meinerz Abdalla, L., Henrique Conrado, P. ., Rodrigues Rauber, A., Roso Colpo, L., Bruschi, F., & Alex Bao Zambra, D. . (2026). Modeling and Analysis of a Liquid-Cooled Heat Sink for Inverters Used in Hybrid Electric Vehicles . IEEE Latin America Transactions, 24(10), 1169–1179. Retrieved from https://latamt.ieeer9.org/index.php/transactions/article/view/10417

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 10 (2026): Ordinary Issue

Section

Electric Energy