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This paper presents work carried out in WP4 of the European project INCIT-EV, to develop a thermo-mechanical model, for simulating the performance of electrified roads using an inductive system for the charging of electric vehicles. The system consists of a charging unit, made of a box containing a litz coil, inserted into the road, at low depth under the surface, and sealed using a resin. In previous studies [1], several solutions for the insertion of this system in the road structure were evaluated, using experimental and numerical studies. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the potential of thermo-viscoelastic FEM structural simulations to predict the response of the electric road system (ERS) taking into account daily thermal variations, and heat released by the inductive charging system. Firstly, thermal laboratory tests were performed to evaluate the temperature variations due to the operation of the charging system, and compared with FEM simulations, in order to validate different modelling assumptions (material characteristics, boundary conditions). Then, transient thermo-mechanical simulations were performed, considering different materials for the coil block (polyethylene, or concrete), and for the sealing resin, in order to evaluate different possible designs of the charging elements. The variations of the deformations of the different structures, and of the strain and stress fields, during representative temperature cycles, were studied and compared. Differences in mechanical response obtained with different sealing resins (elastic or viscoelastic) and different coil block materials (polyethylene, and concrete) were analysed and compared.

This paper presents first studies carried out in the European project INCIT-EV, to design a solution for integrating a wireless inductive charging system for electric vehicles in a bituminous pavement. In the project, specific tests and simulations were developed to study the mechanical and thermal behaviour of this electric road. In particular, laboratory wheel tracking tests were used to study, at reduced scale, the mechanical behaviour of a charging coil integrated in the pavement. Charging tests were also performed to study the temperature variations produced by the heat dissipation in the inductive coils. Finally, finite element models have been used to simulate the thermal and mechanical response of the system in the pavement structure. The paper presents some main results of this study, which allowed to validate the mechanical behaviour of the proposed pavement structure, but also highlighted risks of overheating when the system is in operation, which will need further investigation.