Thermal Management Optimization of Prismatic Lithium-Ion Battery
Using Phase Change Material 15-15-02-0010
This also appears in
SAE International Journal of Passenger Vehicle Systems-V131-15EJ
High technology expertise and strong advancement in electric vehicles and Lithium
(Li)-ion battery devices and systems have increased the speed of development and
application of new equipment. It is reported that Li-ion battery life reduces
almost by 60 days per degree temperature rise in an operational temperature of
30°C to 40°C, which makes cooling a high priority. The current study focuses on
cooling the battery system using Phase Change Material (PCM) placed as bands of
different dimensions around the prismatic battery. Eight novel designs of
varying dimensions were constructed for three-volume scenarios. The heat
generations considered in this study are 6,855 W/m3, 12,978
W/m3, 19,100 W/m3, and 63,970 W/m3. The
data obtained was trained using an artificial neural network (ANN), and an
equation was attained to fit the data. The optimum placement of PCM with respect
to the number of bands and dimensions was achieved through a Genetic Algorithm.
From the results of simulation studies, it can be interpreted that covering the
full face of the cell gives the most optimal cooling rates. The optimization
algorithm shows that the heat generation is directly proportional to the
thickness of the PCM band, whereas it is inversely proportional to the height of
the band. The optimal design depends on the heat generation of the cell. As the
heat generation varies from 6,855 W/m3 to 19,100 W/m3, the
optimized band height decreases from 196 mm to 100 mm by keeping the total
volume of the PCM constant at 32,280 mm3 to maintain the maximum
battery temperature between 303 K and 305 K.
