Experimental study of a direct evaporative cooling approach for Li-ion battery thermal management

A desirable operating temperature range and small temperature gradient is beneficial to the safety and longevity of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, and battery thermal management systems (BTMSs) play a critical role in achieving the temperature control. Having the advantages of direct access and low viscosity, air is widely used as a cooling medium in BTMSs. In this paper, an air-based BTMS is modified by integrating a direct evaporative cooling (DEC) system, which helps reduce the inlet air temperature for enhanced heat dissipation. Experiments are carried out on 18650-type batteries and a 9-cell battery pack to study how relative humidity and air flow rate affect the DEC system. The maximum temperatures, temperature differences, and capacity fading of batteries are compared between three cooling conditions, which include the proposed DEC, air cooling, and natural convection cooling. In addition, a DEC tunnel that can produce reciprocating air flow is assembled to further reduce the maximum temperature and temperature difference inside the battery pack. It is demonstrated that the proposed DEC system can expand the usage of Li-ion batteries in more adverse and intensive operating conditions.     

Research on heat dissipation performance and flow characteristics of air‐cooled battery pack

With the depletion of fossil fuels and the aggravation of environmental pollution, the research and development speed of electric vehicles has been accelerating, and the thermal management of battery pack has become increasingly important. This paper selects the electric vehicle battery pack with natural air cooling as the study subject, conducts simulation analysis of the heat dissipation performance of battery packs with and without vents. Then this paper researches on the influence of internal flow field and external flow field. Field synergy principle is used to analyze the effect of velocity field and temperature field amplitude. The results show the following: it is found that the maximum temperature rise and the internal maximum temperature difference of the battery pack with vents are reduced by about 23.1% and 19.9%, raising speed value can improve the heat dissipation performance, and raising temperature value can decrease the heat dissipation performance. Reasonable design of the vents can make the inner and outer flow field work synergistically to achieve the best cooling effect. Then the reference basis for the air cooling heat dissipation performance analysis of electric vehicle, battery pack structure arrangement, and air‐inlet and air‐outlet pattern choosing are offered.     

Thermal analysis and management of lithium-titanate batteries

Battery electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles demand batteries that can store large amounts of energy in addition to accommodating large charge and discharge currents without compromising battery life. Lithium-titanate batteries have recently become an attractive option for this application. High current thresholds allow these cells to be charged quickly as well as supply the power needed to drive such vehicles. These large currents generate substantial amounts of waste heat due to loss mechanisms arising from the cell's internal chemistry and ohmic resistance. During normal vehicle operation, an active cooling system must be implemented to maintain a safe cell temperature and improve battery performance and life. This paper outlines a method to conduct thermal analysis of lithium-titanate cells under laboratory conditions. Thermochromic liquid crystals were implemented to instantaneously measure the entire surface temperature field of the cell. The resulting temperature measurements were used to evaluate the effectiveness of an active cooling system developed and tested in our laboratory for the thermal management of lithium-titanate cells.     

Recent progress in lithium-ion battery thermal management for a wide range of temperature and abuse conditions

Lithium-ion batteries are important power sources for electric vehicles and energy storage devices in recent decades. Operating temperature, reliability, safety, and life cycle of batteries are key issues in battery thermal management, and therefore, there is a need for an effective thermal-management system. This review summarises the latest research progress on lithium-ion battery thermal management under high temperature, sub-zero temperature, and abuse conditions. Heat generation mechanisms are characterised under both normal and abuse conditions. Different cooling methods, which include air cooling, liquid cooling, phase change cooling, heat pipe cooling, and their combinations are reviewed and discussed. Thereafter, features of different battery heating methods such as air/liquid heating, alternate current heating, and internal self-heating are discussed. An improvement in battery safety under abuse conditions is discussed from the perspective of battery material modification and thermal management design. The research progress in recent investigations is summarised, and the prospects are proposed.     

Investigation of the heat balance of bipolar NiMH-batteries

Heat generation plays an important role for energy storage systems like batteries in electric and hybrid vehicles. In order to investigate the thermal and electrical behaviour the batteries were exposed to cycling programs including various methods of battery cooling by flowing air. Two different experimental methods were presented to study the establishing of the heat balance. The second part of the paper describes the simulation of the temperature distribution by using finite element methods (FEM). The electric and thermal battery model was compared with results obtained from temperature measurements at four selected points during battery cycling.     

Investigation on thermal management performance of wedge‐shaped microchannels for rectangular Li‐ion batteries

The performance of power battery is a significant factor affecting the overall quality of electric vehicles. To optimize the thermal management effect of battery pack, cold plate with wedge‐shaped microchannels was proposed in this paper. On the basis of the models of the independent cold plate and the battery‐cooling module, the effects of outlet aspect ratio, flow rate, and branching structure on the heat dissipation performance of the cold plate were studied at first. Afterwards, the effects of cooling surface, flow rate, and branching structure on the temperature distribution of the battery module were simulated. The results showed that the wedge‐shaped channels provided a good cooling efficiency and surface temperature uniformity. When the wedge‐shaped channel was used in thermal management of the battery module, the side‐cooling method reduced the temperature difference of batteries by more than 35.71% compared with front cooling under the mass flow rate of 2 × 10^?5 kg/s. At a discharge rate of 3.5 C, the flow rate of 1 × 10^?4 kg/s controlled the battery temperature to within 45°C, and the branching structure designed for the module successfully decreased the maximum temperature difference from 7.27°C to 4.67°C, which has been reduced by approximately 35.78%.     

Performance assessment of a passive core cooling design for cylindrical lithium‐ion batteries

Battery thermal management (BTM) system is an indispensable component for large‐sized lithium‐ion battery packs used in aerospace and automotive applications. Besides providing a proper temperature range for batteries to operate, thus improving their efficiency, lifespan, and safety, the BTM system also needs to be well designed with considering the cost, weight, and practicability. In this paper, an internal passive BTM system is proposed for the cylindrical Li‐ion batteries. The design embeds a phase change material (PCM) filled mandrel inside the battery to achieve the cooling effect. A thermal test cell is first fabricated and tested in a wind tunnel under different cooling scenarios, and it is also used to verify a numerical thermal model. The proposed BTM system is further examined through the model and found to be able to create a preferable environment for batteries to operate. Specifically, the core BTM system consumes less PCM and achieves lower temperature rises and more uniform temperature distributions than an external BTM system. The proposed design can also exert its full latent heat to manage the heat generated from the battery without having a thermally conductive matrix, which is usually composite with PCM in external BTM systems. In addition, experiments show that the battery equipped with the proposed BTM system is ready for intensive cycling tests.     

圆柱形锂离子电池热管理实验研究

保持合适的运行温度是锂离子电池高效、安全、长寿命的保证,因而对其进行有效的热管理是非常有必要的。本文针对圆柱形锂离子电池,设计了嵌套电池表面的方形金属外壳,以强化电池散热和单体电池间传热。对比自然对流条件下电池单体加壳和无壳时不同放电倍率的温升情况、多个电池并联的温升情况,以及不同通风功率下多个电池并联时嵌套不同外壳的温升情况,发现加壳可以有效促进电池（组）散热。另外,设计了电池组内不同单体电池出现放电不均衡情况,以检验嵌套外壳对减小电池组内单体电池间温差的效果,结果表明,自然对流条件下,加壳后单体电池间最大温差可以降低10℃以上。     

流动风阻网格模型与热仿真设计方法优化动力电池模组结构的研究

风冷系统因结构简单、成本低等特点,在热管理系统中占据重要地位。目前常规的风冷热管理设计方法存在重复性工作多、设计时间长的缺点。本文提出空气流动风阻网格模型结合热力学模型仿真的设计方法,先采用空气流动风阻网格模型获得优化的电池结构,再采用热力学模型进行仿真求解,获得优化的电池模组的流场和温度场分布特性。仿真结果验证了优化结构的准确性。优化结果表明,“C”字形结构更有利于提升模组内单体电池冷却效果的一致性,并且优化后的“C”字形结构进一步提升了电池模组内单体电池温度场的一致性。此外,计算结果发现模组内空气流动方向为上进下出时可进一步降低模组内单体电池的最高温度,提升单体电池温度场的一致性。     

Numerical investigation of thermal runaway propagation in a Li-ion battery module using the heat pipe cooling system

It is a promising cooling strategy to use the heat pipe for the Li-ion battery module, which can maintain the temperature of the battery module properly and prevent high temperature, triggering the thermal runaway among adjacent batteries. In this study, the thermal runaway model is simulated through the internal short circuit, which couples with Volume of Fluid (VOF) model of the heat pipe cooling and solves in ANSYS FLUENT to realize the heat and mass transfer between batteries and heat pipes. A user-defined function (UDF) code including mass source and energy source is used to calculate the heat and mass transfer in VOF model during the thermal runaway process. Numerical simulations are adopted to probe thermal runaway processes of a single battery under different operation conditions and the thermal runaway propagation from a battery to adjacent batteries. It is concluded that the heat pipe cooling system cannot prevent the thermal runaway of a single battery, but it can prevent the thermal runaway propagation from a battery to adjacent batteries.     

The forced air cooling heat dissipation performance of different battery pack bottom duct

Due to the requirement of the battery for the thermal management system, based on the coupling relationship between the velocity field and the thermal flow field of the field synergy principle, the flow paths of the forced air cooling system for different battery packs were analyzed. First, the thermodynamic parameters of the battery were collected through experiments and verified by simulation. Secondly, based on the collected thermodynamic parameters of the battery, the heat generation model of the battery, the heat conduction model of the gas, and the coupled heat dissipation model of the battery and air were established. Determine the boundary conditions, calculation methods and evaluation indicators required for simulation; Finally, based on four different driving conditions, the forced air cooling performance of the double “U” shape duct and double “1” type duct is simulated. Through the analysis of the results, the dual “U” air ducts have a more heat dissipation effect on the battery pack than the double “1” shape duct. The results conform to the definition of the field synergy principle for the coupling relationship between the velocity field and the heat flow field. Then research provide references for the design of battery packs and matching of cooling systems.     

Cell and stack‐level study of steady‐state and transient behaviour of temperature uniformity of open‐cathode proton exchange membrane fuel cells

The steady‐state temperature uniformity and thermal transients of open‐cathode proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) at cell and stack level are researched experimentally in this study. The local temperatures are obtained by 30 thermocouples contacting the surfaces of cathode gas diffusion layers (GDL). The s temperature homogeneity under different load currents and air flow rates are investigated. The results reveal that the fluctuation of temperature distribution under different currents is small under the lowest air flow rate set in the experiments. Comparatively, the temperature is less uniform when the load current is higher under other air flow rates. The evaluation indicator, temperature uniformity index (TUI), varies nearly linearly with the current. And the maximum variation is 55.6% to 59.0%. This distinct behaviour is probably related to the existence of liquid water and its nonuniform distribution which can enlarge the temperature difference at high current. With respect to thermal transients, there is rapid deterioration in temperature uniformity when the load current is stepped up. It may arise from the uneven liquid water distribution which can lead to different temperature variation rates. Further, the research gives direction for optimization of cooling strategy and thermal management of open‐cathode PEMFC stack in application.     

Experimental investigation on thermal performance of silica cooling plate‐aluminate thermal plate‐coupled forced convection‐based pouch battery thermal management system

The power battery as an indispensable part of electric vehicle has attracted much attention in recent years. Among these, the lithium‐ion battery is the most important option due to the high energy density, good stability, and low discharge rate. However, the thermal safety problem of lithium‐ion battery cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is very necessary to explore an effective thermal management system for battery module. Here, a thermal silica cooling plate‐aluminate thermal plate (SCP‐ATP) coupling with forced convection air cooling system as a thermal management system is proposed for improving the cooling performance of pouch battery module. The results reveal that the heat dissipating performance and temperature uniformity of pouch battery module with SCP‐ATP are greatly improved compared with other thermal management systems. Moreover, the highest temperature can be controlled below 50°C, and the temperature differences can be maintained with 3°C when the SCP‐ATP coupling forced convection is utilized to enhance the heat transfer coefficient. Furthermore, considering the cooling effectiveness and consumption cost comprehensively, the optimal air velocity of the SCP‐ATP coupling forced convection cooling system is 9 m/s. In addition, the SCP‐ATP filling with different proportions of acetone has also been investigated for pouch battery module, indicating that 50% acetone exhibited a better heat transfer effect than the 30% one. Therefore, this research would provide a significant value in the design and optimization of thermal management systems for battery module.     

Research on the heat dissipation performance of lithium‐ion cell with different operating conditions

This paper aims to research the thermal power of lithium‐ion cell with different operating conditions. A 55‐Ah lithium‐ion cell is selected as the research object. Experiment and simulation are chosen as the methods to research the temperature distribution and thermal power of the cell under different conditions. Combining with the thermal power of cells, this paper also researches the heat dissipation performance of battery pack under different operation conditions. The results indicated that average thermal power of a 55‐Ah lithium‐ion cell decreases along with the increase of ambient temperature and the decrease of state of charge and charge and discharge rates. The results achieved through simulation and experiment are consistent, so simulation could be used to research the temperature distribution of cell during charge and discharge. As considering the longitudinal battery pack with steady analysis, high temperature area is in the centre, and the temperature of air inlet is relatively low. The airflow mostly passes the top of battery pack but not through both sides. As considering the longitudinal battery pack with transient analysis, the temperature rise of battery pack is evidently higher than the inner temperature difference by studying three operating conditions (sustained deceleration, sustained acceleration and pulsed discharge). The curves of temperature rise and inner temperature difference rise along with sustained acceleration of the electric vehicle; therefore, even if the electric vehicle begins to decelerate, the fan must still work until the temperature of battery pack decreases. Then, the references are given for researching thermal characteristic during charge and discharge of the cell and the heat dissipation analysis of battery pack. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal management of lithium‐ion batteries for electric vehicles

Thermal issues associated with electric vehicle battery packs can significantly affect performance and life cycle. Fundamental heat transfer principles and performance characteristics of commercial lithium‐ion battery are used to predict the temperature distributions in a typical battery pack under a range of discharge conditions. Various cooling strategies are implemented to examine the relationship between battery thermal behavior and design parameters. By studying the effect of cooling conditions and pack configuration on battery temperature, information is obtained as to how to maintain operating temperature by designing proper battery configuration and choosing proper cooling systems. It was found that a cooling strategy based on distributed forced convection is an efficient, cost‐effective method which can provide uniform temperature and voltage distributions within the battery pack at various discharge rates. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrical‐thermal behaviors of a cylindrical graphite‐NCA Li‐ion battery responding to external short circuit operation

Large amount of heat generated during an external short circuit (ESC) process may cause battery safety events. An experimental platform is established to explore the battery electrothermal characteristics during ESC faults. For 18650‐type nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA) batteries, ESC fault tests of different initial state of charge (SOC) values, different external resistances, or different ambient temperatures are carried out. The test case of a smaller external resistance is characterized by a shorter ESC duration with a faster cell temperature rise, whereas the case of a larger external resistance will last for a longer duration, discharge more electricity, and terminate in a slightly higher temperature. The tested batteries of high initial SOCs generally have higher temperature rise rates, smoother changes at the output current/voltage curves, but a smaller discharged capacity. The batteries of low initial SOCs can be overdischarged by the ESC operations. At low temperatures, say 0°C, the ESC process outputs much less electricity than the process at high temperatures, eg, 30°C. The initial low temperature has little effect on reducing the battery overheat due to ESC operations. The battery thermal behavior is of hysteresis property; analysis of heat generations reveals the subsequent increase of battery surface temperature after the completion of ESC discharge is due to the battery material abusive reaction heats. It is found from analytical and numerical analyses that there can have approximately 30°C temperature difference between the battery core and its surface during ESC operations. The interruption of ESC operation is very probably caused by the high battery core temperature, which leads to the destruction of solid‐electrolyte interface (SEI) film.     

Lithium battery thermal management system for hybrid vehicles

为研究动力电池组的温度特性以及维持其工作在最佳的温度范围内,以锂离子电池为研究对象,设计了一种新型混合动力汽车的电池热管理系统,利用空调系统和发动机排气系统来调控电池组的温度。建立了锂电池组的三维瞬态产热数值模型,以电池组的三维尺寸和进风口流速为输入参数,以降低电池组的最大温升和提高电池组的温度均匀性为输出参数,利用FLUENT仿真软件和DesignXplorer模块进行联合优化设计了电池组的结构。优化后的电池组的温升比优化前降低了5.39 K,电池组温差降低了6.41 K。分析了恒倍率放电以及对流换热系数对单体电池温升的影响,研究表明：放电倍率越大电池温升越快,放电结束后电池的温度越高,在对流换热系数小于30 W/（m²·K）时,散热效果明显。对电池组在不同条件下加热或者冷却进行了仿真分析,验证了该电池热管理系统的可行性。     

动力电池支撑架结构设计及散热性能分析

可再生能源的发展势必带动动力电池的发展,在促进退役动力电池循环利用方面也将取得较大成效,在动力电池发展过程中,其安全性是值得广泛关注的重点问题,为提高动力锂电池组放电时散热效率,设计电池组支撑架,采用计算机仿真的方法研究不同支撑架结构、不同工质、不同流速下18650型锂电池构成的动力电池组的热性能。通过对空气和水2种工质流体、工质流速大小、工质入口位置等参数进行组合仿真分析,结果表明,随着工质流速的增加,电池组及支撑架表面的最高温度逐渐降低,当工质流速大于10 m/s时趋于稳定;适当的工质流入口的位置可增强降温效果,在低流速状态下,空气和水分别作为冷却工质时,纵向包裹型电池支撑架比横向包裹型电池支撑架电池组中表面温度分别降低了2.64%和1.86%;在高流速状态下,空气和水分别作为冷却工质时,纵向包裹型电池支撑架比横向包裹型电池支撑架电池组中表面温度分别降低了3.15%和1.83%。动力电池支撑架结构设计可为后续电池热控制提供理论参考。     

Thermal analysis of high‐power lithium‐ion battery packs using flow network approach

High‐power applications of lithium‐ion batteries require efficient thermal management systems. In this work, a lumped capacitance heat transfer model is developed in conjunction with a flow network approach to study performance of a commercial‐size lithium‐ion battery pack, under various design and operating conditions of a thermal management system. In order to assess the battery thermal management system, capabilities of air, silicone oil, and water are examined as three potential coolant fluids. Different flow configurations are considered, and temperature dispersions, cell‐averaged voltage distributions, and parasitic losses due to the fan/pump power demand are calculated. It is found that application of a coolant with an appropriate viscosity and heat capacity, such as water, in conjunction with a flow configuration with more than one inlet will result in uniform temperature and voltage distributions in the battery pack while keeping the power requirement at low, acceptable levels. Simulation results are presented and compared with literature for model validation and to show the superior capability of the proposed battery pack design methodology. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal analysis and management of proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks for automotive vehicle

The thermal management of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is crucial for fuel cell vehicles. This paper presents a new simulation model for the water-cooled PEMFC stacks for automotive vehicles and cooling systems. The cooling system model considers both the cooling of the stack and cooling of the compressed air through the intercooler. Theoretical analysis was carried out to calculate the heat dissipation requirements for the cooling system. The case study results show that more than 99.0% of heat dissipation requirement is for thermal management of the PEMFC stack; more than 98.5% of cooling water will be distributed to the stack cooling loop. It is also demonstrated that controlling cooling water flow rate and stack inlet cooling water temperature could effectively satisfy thermal management constraints. These thermal management constraints are differences in stack inlet and outlet cooling water temperature, stack temperature, fan power consumption, and pump power consumption.