Passive thermal management of the lithium‐ion battery unit for a solar racing car

Abstract

Summary In this study, a three‐dimensional numerical model is developed to investigate the thermal and electrical characteristics of 18 650 lithium‐ion battery cells that are used in the solar racing car of Dokuz Eylül University, i.e., SOLARIS. The Newman, Tiedemann, Gu, and Kim (NTGK) battery model of ANSYS Fluent software is implemented to resolve the coupled multiphysics problem. In the analysis, only the discharging period of the battery is considered. Before going through parametric studies under variable weather conditions, time‐wise variations of the cell temperature and the battery voltage are evaluated both experimentally and numerically under two different ambient conditions of 0°C and 25°C. Comparative results revealed that reasonable predictions are achieved with the current battery model, and the difference between the predicted battery surface temperature and experimental data is less than 1°C. Following the model validation, the battery performance is numerically examined by applying the battery model to a real race procedure of SOLARIS. Phase change materials (PCMs) with different amounts and melting temperatures are implemented around the batteries, and transient analyses are conducted under real weather conditions. The current study aims to keep the battery temperature of a solar racing car above a certain limit to prevent the overcooling and maintain higher charging capacity. Implementation of PCM with a melting temperature of 26°C yields 3.15% of capacity increment, and such a performance improvement corresponds to 15.51 Wh of extra energy that can be extracted from an individual battery.

Emergence of elevated battery positioning in air cooled battery packs for temperature uniformity in ultra-fast dis/charging applications

“…In general, these can be categorized as active and passive BTMSs. Active systems require external source for circulation of a working fluid to keep the batteries in the optimal temperature range while the passive ones do not as they rely on latent heat requirement being comparatively great during phase change (heat pipe or PCM) [26][27][28][29][30][31][32]. In addition, air cooled BTMSs become the best option for some specific applications due to their advantages such as simplicity, low-cost, no risk for electric shortage and being lighter (no liquid tank, pump, cold plate, piping etc.).…”

Numerical investigation on melting and energy storage density enhancement of phase change material in a horizontal cylindrical container

“…Due to this reason, the phase change material (PCM) is used, which can store the trapped energy efficiently 13,14 . The fact that PCM has a large number of applications in energy storage, could be used not only for transportation means such as automobiles, 15,16 electric vehicles, 17,18 even ships, 19,20 but also in renewable energy systems such as solar, 21 geothermal 22,23 …”

“…Due to this reason, the phase change material (PCM) is used, which can store the trapped energy efficiently. 13,14 The fact that PCM has a large number of applications in energy storage, could be used not only for transportation means such as automobiles, 15,16 electric vehicles, 17,18 even ships, 19,20 but also in renewable energy systems such as solar, 21 geothermal. 22,23 In the PCM operation process, PCM heat storage/ release rate is affected by thermal conductivity, and PCM thermal conductivity encapsulated inside a container is increased using metal mesh, 24 nanoparticles, 25 fins 26,27 and modifying the heat transfer tube (HTT).…”

Data‐driven lithium‐ion battery states estimation using neural networks and particle filtering

“…1,2 Because of the demand for operations of electronic equipment in daily life and industrial production, assuring the safety, reliability, and long-lasting ability of lithium-ion batteries has become the most concerned issues in the scientific community. Lithium-ion batteries are widely selected in the applications mentioned above because of their unparalleled superiority compared with other rechargeable batteries, including higher power density, higher energy efficiency, longevity, and lower selfdischarging rate.…”

“…Lithium-ion batteries are widely selected in the applications mentioned above because of their unparalleled superiority compared with other rechargeable batteries, including higher power density, higher energy efficiency, longevity, and lower selfdischarging rate. 1,2 Because of the demand for operations of electronic equipment in daily life and industrial production, assuring the safety, reliability, and long-lasting ability of lithium-ion batteries has become the most concerned issues in the scientific community. 3 Battery management system (BMS) is necessary for monitoring and protecting the battery.…”