Computational modelling of thermal loads on a heat storage for battery electric buses over service life

Developing metallic latent thermal energy storages for replacement of battery capacity might enhance battery electric buses or trains by reduction of storage investment costs, mass, and volume. However, the development of reliable high temperature components requires careful consideration of thermal and mechanical loads, which arise over their service life. In this work, a MATLAB program to investigate the thermal loads on a metallic latent heat storage used in a battery electric bus over its service life was developed. The model was used to study the influence of locations in different climate zones, operation strategy, vehicle type and setup with a heat pump on the occurrence of different state of charge levels of the storage system. The results provide boundary conditions for application related component design and emphasize the wide span of requirements. Thus, the aimed scenario should be considered carefully when designing reliable components for metallic latent thermal energy storages.