Over the past three years, collaboration with AVL has played an important role in supporting research and educational activities at the Institute of Automotive Mechatronics (FEI STU). AVL contributes by providing access to professional simulation software, which forms a key part of our modelling workflow in the field of electro-thermal analysis of lithium-ion batteries.

These tools are actively used both in research and in student projects, enabling the development of advanced simulation approaches and their application to real-world engineering problems. Part of this work is carried out within the FreeTwinEV project, focused on the development of digital twins for battery systems.

A significant research outcome is the recently completed dissertation of one of the main researchers in this field, Ing. Martin Baťa, PhD., focused on multi-level electro-thermal modelling of lithium-ion cells. The work combines experimental measurements with detailed CFD simulations using AVL FIRE M, followed by their reduction and system-level modelling using AVL CRUISE M, with subsequent implementation in MATLAB/Simulink for real-time capable simulations.

The results of this work were also published in a Q1 journal:

Martin Baťa et al. — Geometry-Resolved Electro-Thermal Modelling of Cylindrical Lithium-Ion Cells Using 3D Simulation and Thermal Network Reduction, Energies (MDPI), 2025.

The publication presents a modelling approach based on high-fidelity 3D CFD simulations, which are experimentally validated and reduced into 1D electro-thermal networks. This enables a significant reduction in computational complexity while preserving key physical behaviour, allowing estimation of internal, non-measurable states such as temperature distribution within the cell.

In addition to these research outputs, AVL software is extensively used in student theses focused on battery modelling. Two recent bachelor theses addressed topics such as the development of electro-thermal models of cylindrical lithium-ion cells, transformation of detailed 3D models into reduced-order 1D thermal networks, and simulation of thermal phenomena including thermal runaway. Currently, a master’s thesis is also being carried out in this area.

Beyond battery-focused topics, student projects also explore a broader range of applications of AVL tools. One bachelor thesis focused on traction control and vehicle dynamics modelling using AVL VSM, investigating control strategies and their influence on vehicle behaviour. Another student semestral project was dedicated to exploring meshless simulation approaches using the newly introduced PreonLab software, including initial simulations of wheel–terrain interaction, such as rover wheel motion on deformable surfaces.

These activities demonstrate the versatility and practical applicability of AVL simulation tools across a wide range of modelling tasks. They enable the exploration of new modelling approaches that were previously not accessible within our research environment. At the same time, they provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to ongoing research and project activities, bridging the gap between education and cutting-edge engineering development.

We would like to thank AVL for their long-term support through the University Partnership Program. By providing access to professional simulation tools, AVL significantly contributes to both the research output and the educational process at FEI STU.

Visit the AVL website and find about all their solutions spanning beyond simulation – engineering, development, testing and much more:

www.avl.com/en