Electrothermal dimensioning of an embedded electrical architecture - application of automotive cables.

Nowadays, transporting energy in general, and electrical energy in particular, often requires a physical medium. In the automotive sector, electric cables are still the only means of transporting electrical power between source and destination.

The massive and growing use of electrical conductors is essentially due to the development of on-board vehicle electronics, which has grown steadily over the last few decades, and to the multiplication of electric actuators on top-of-the-range models. This "electrification" of vehicles is inevitably accompanied by a growing number of electrical harnesses, even if this increase remains contained thanks to the advent of electrical signal multiplexing. The reasons behind this increase in the number of electrical and electronic components are linked to a number of imperatives:

• improve the passive or active safety of occupants ;

• make driving more comfortable;

• comply with the legislation of the country of sale;

• be environmentally friendly by limiting fuel consumption.

The incursion of electricity into vehicles is likely to intensify in the years to come. On the one hand, following the example of the aeronautical industry, we are likely to see an ever-increasing electrification of mechanical actuators, a trend known as "drive-by-wire". On the other hand, the widespread use of hybrid or all-electric vehicles should give even greater importance to the on-board electrical network.

This clearly demonstrates the importance of automotive electric architecture in terms of improving quality and reducing manufacturing costs.