Temperature-constrained topology optimization for thermo-mechanical coupled problems under a design-dependent temperature field considering the thermal expansion effect remains an open problem. A temperature-constrained topology optimization method is proposed for thermo-mechanical coupled problems. In this article, the temperature values at the heat sources are constrained. The numerical results reveal that the temperature constraints play an important role in topology optimization of thermo-mechanical coupled problems. The optimized structure obtained by the presented method not only has certain strength but also decreases the temperature significantly compared with structures obtained by other methods without considering temperature constraints. The proposed method is applied to the design of the cooling system of a battery package. Numerical examples verify the efficiency of the presented method.

Energy recovery is a key technology to improve energy efficiency and extend driving range of electric vehicle. It is still a challenging issue to maximise energy recovery. We present an energy recovery mode (mode A) which recovers braking energy under all situations that accelerator pedal (AP) is lifted, brake pedal (BP) is depressed, as well as AP and BP are released completely; and propose a control strategy of regenerative braking based on driver's intention identified by a fuzzy recognition method. Other two modes: (1) recovery braking energy only the BP is depressed (mode B), (2) no energy recovery, have been studied to compare with mode A. Simulations are carried out on different adhesion conditions. Recovered energy and driving range are also obtained under FTP75 driving cycle. Road test is implemented to validate simulation results. Results show that mode A can improve energy recovery by almost 15.8% compared with mode B, and extend driving range by almost 8.81% compared with mode B and 20.39% with the mode of no energy recovery; the control strategy of regenerative braking can balance energy recovery and braking stability. The proposed energy recovery mode provides a possibility to achieve a single-pedal design of the electric vehicle.