This article appeared in Evaluation Engineering and has been published here with permission.
Simulation can help optimize any design, including the cables and connectors in a vehicle's wire harness. In a recently released publication, Rosenberger, maker of connectors and cable assemblies, applies ZVEI TLF0101 guidelines and examines optimization practices.
The company's work provides for a standardized format for exchanging parameters of electro-thermal component models to simulate a vehicle's electrical network for the purpose of thermal optimization. This process can greatly shrink the weight and complexity of the wire harness, addressing connector size and weight, cable cross-section, and potential development times, depending on the deployment.
Able to simulate an entire vehicle virtually, the system helps reduce cable cross-sections. For example, Rosenberger's HVS 240 connector is 50 mm² across, offering a volume and weight savings of up to 30% as well as up to 50% thinner than non-optimized solutions in a design.
Rosenberger and Leoni, a cable and wire manufacturer, developed a demonstrator, using cable, connectors, and power to show how the process can optimize cable requirements. Rosenberger will provide information on how it was done in accordance with ZVEI guidelines using its HV product portfolio.
