The origin of one-dimensional simulation of engine cooling systems can be placed in the early 80’s when two important events occurred: increased use of test rigs for testing vehicle thermal performance on one side and beginning of large use of computer science for simulating complex physical systems.

In order to explain the evolution of one-dimensional simulation for automotive thermal management systems, consider a very popular car, the Fiat Panda. The first generation of this city car was introduced in 1980. The second generation was awarded European Car of the Year in 2004. The third generation debuted at Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011. In over 31 years over 6.5 million Pandas were sold globally, 4.5 million being the first generation. Original Fiat Panda and elder sister Fiat Uno were both a commercial success and a turning point for automotive design process, starting the search for industrial efficiency by anticipated validations and reduced development time.