Numerical Investigation of Thermal Performance of Key Components of Electric Vehicles Using Nucleate Boiling

Abstract

An efficient thermal management system is desirable for improving the performance of key components of electric vehicle (EV), such as battery packs and Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs). This paper investigates the application of single bubble nucleate boiling heat transfer in battery and IGBT component cooling pack. A semi mechanistic flow boiling model, which combines four main sub-models i.e. phase change model, micro-region model, Marangoni model, and contact angle model is developed to get the insight of various subprocesses like bubble inception, growth, departure, scavenging effect while the bubble departs and condensation. For model validation, simulations are carried out for single bubble flow boiling in a vertical rectangular channel and compared against the experimental data available in the literature. Thereafter, simulations are carried out for the battery and IGBT cooling pack to understand the physical phenomena associated with nucleate boiling in such systems. The choice of a single vapor bubble vis-à-vis multiple bubbles has been based on the objective of validating the developed numerical model. An enhancement of ∼30% in heat transfer is achieved for both battery and IGBT components when the system is subjected to a nucleate boiling cooling regime as compared to a conventional single-phase convection cooling system. Nusselt number variation due to the single bubble movement along the coolant path is studied in detail for both serpentine-shaped cooling path in a battery and straight flow path in an IGBT. Moreover, the influence of Reynolds number over bubble dynamics is analyzed.