Development of a physics-based dynamic analysis model and experimental performance verification of an electric water pump for an integarated thermal management system

Accelerating automotive electrification underscores the need for integrated thermal management to ensure energy efficiency. Specifically, precise control of the Electric Water Pump (EWP) is essential. However, existing industrial models rely on input/output data, lacking physical causality and prediction accuracy. Therefore, this paper proposes a high-precision analytical EWP model based on physical theory. The model combines velocity triangle theory and fluid dynamic loss models to formulate nonlinear pump head characteristics. It integrates these with a BLDC motor average voltage model to reflect interconnected electro-mechanical-fluidic characteristics. For validation, a KS-compliant test rig was built, collecting data at 4 000–6 000 RPM for parameter identification. The simulation results demonstrated high accuracy with an R2 of 0.9964 and a maximum error under 3 %. This model provides a key foundation for developing thermal management algorithms and Model Predictive Control applications.