Refrigeration course in automotive electrical systems
Online course of 300 hours in cooling of automotive electrical systems. 6 modules covering heat transfer in electrical components, traction battery cooling, motor and electronics cooling, integrated thermal management systems, and testing, safety and maintenance, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Apply heat transfer to the sizing of electrical components.
Design cooling systems for traction batteries.
Solve cooling for motors and power electronics.
Integrate circuits, heat pump and refrigerants into a thermal system.
Simulate thermal systems with 1D and CFD tools.
Apply safety regulations for refrigerants and fluorinated gases.
Develop the complete thermal architecture of an electric vehicle.
Who it's for
- Thermal management engineers
- CFD simulation engineers
- Vehicle climate control engineers
- Battery pack design engineers
- Thermal validation engineers
- Climate control system maintenance technicians
- Engineering or science graduates looking to join a car manufacturer
What you'll work with
- UNECE Regulation No 100 (electrical safety of the powertrain)
- Directive 2006/40/EC (emissions from air-conditioning systems)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/573 (fluorinated greenhouse gases)
- SAE J2843 (safety of R-744 climate control systems)
- SAE J639 (safety of vehicle refrigerant systems)
- ISO 6469-1 (rechargeable energy storage system)
- SAE J2773 (refrigerant risk analysis for mobile air conditioning)
- ISO 16750-4 (climatic loads on electrical equipment)
- GT-SUITE
- Ansys Fluent
- Simcenter Amesim
- Simcenter STAR-CCM+
- COMSOL Multiphysics
6 modules
1.1Conduction, convection and radiation in components1.2Thermal resistance and equivalent circuits1.3Heat generation in cells, inverters and motors1.4Water-glycol, oil and dielectric fluids1.5Convection coefficients and the Nusselt number1.6Pressure drop in hydraulic circuits1.7Thermal interface materials1.8Optimum temperature windows by component1.9The vapour-compression refrigeration cycle1.10Practical exercise: thermal resistance network of an IGBT module
2.1Air cooling in early batteries2.2Cold plates beneath the modules2.3Side cooling of cylindrical cells2.4Dielectric immersion cooling2.5Chiller and coupling with the air conditioning2.6Battery heating: PTC and heat pump2.7Temperature uniformity between cells2.8Barriers against thermal propagation2.9Thermal control during fast charging2.10Lab: cold plate with a thermal imaging camera
3.1Stator water jackets3.2Oil spray on the end windings3.3Rotor cooling through a hollow shaft3.4Pin-fin heatsinks for power modules3.5Double-sided cooling of SiC modules3.6Temperature sensors and hot spots3.7Inverter temperature derating3.8On-board charger cooling3.9Integrated oil circuit in the e-axle3.10Case study: oil circuit of a commercial e-axle
4.1High- and low-temperature circuits4.2Multi-way valves and operating modes4.3Heat pump with waste heat recovery4.4R-1234yf and R-744 refrigerants4.5High-voltage electric compressors4.6Thermal system control strategies4.71D simulation of the complete system4.8Energy consumption of thermal management4.9Diagnosing leaks and thermal faults4.10Workshop: 1D model of a cooling circuit
5.1Climatic chamber testing5.2Thermal shock and temperature cycling5.3Leak-tightness and refrigerant leaks5.4Safety of flammable and high-pressure refrigerants5.5Certified handling of fluorinated gases5.6Maintenance of refrigerant circuits5.7Thermal validation during fast charging5.8CFD simulation applied to components5.9Reliability of pumps and valves5.10Practical exercise: CFD analysis of a heatsink
6.1Vehicle thermal requirements6.2Heat balance of each component6.3Proposed circuit architecture6.4Selected pumps, valves and heat exchangers6.5Simulation over cold and hot cycles6.6Thermal control logic6.7Validation in extreme scenarios6.8Assessment of consumption and robustness6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme on the SEIUM Institute campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is GT-SUITE, Ansys Fluent, Simcenter Amesim, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and COMSOL Multiphysics, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Work is based on real procedures: designing the cold plate of a battery pack, 1D simulation of a vehicle thermal management system and thermal testing of an inverter in a climatic chamber. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final project.
Standards covered: UNECE Regulation No 100; Directive 2006/40/EC; Regulation (EU) 2024/573; SAE J2843; SAE J639; ISO 6469-1; SAE J2773; ISO 16750-4.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with GT-SUITE, Ansys Fluent, Simcenter Amesim, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and COMSOL Multiphysics, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required: just an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
Related programmes
Course in Inverters for Electromobility
Online course of 300 hours in inverters for electromobility: 6 modules covering traction inverter operation, modulation and control, inverter hardware design, compatibility, reliability and safety and…
Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Fundamentals Course
Online course of 300 hours in plug-in hybrid (PHEV) fundamentals. 6 modules covering plug-in hybridisation concepts, plug-in hybrid architectures, PHEV battery, charging and electronics, energy management…
Course on supercapacitors applied to transportation
Online course of 300 hours in supercapacitors applied to transport. 6 modules covering supercapacitor principles, characterisation and modelling, modules and management electronics, rail and urban transport…
More in Electromobility, Batteries & Hydrogen
All Electromobility, Batteries & Hydrogen programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships