A novel instrumentation approach for achieving in-situ temperature sensing of a Li-ion cylindrical cell under immersion cooling

Abstract

Battery thermal management systems are critical for high-performance electric vehicles, where the ability to remove heat and homogenize temperature distributions in single cells and packs are key considerations. Immersion cooling, which immerses the battery in a dielectric fluid, can improve cooling efficiency compared to air cooling. However, stringent instrumentation standards make in-situ monitoring under immersion cooling a difficult challenge. This study proposes a novel cell instrumentation method based on the integrated combination of three O-rings, which for the first time achieves in-situ temperature sensing of batteries under oil-immersed cooling conditions. Reliability of the sealing system and instrumentation methodology is ensured by leakage tests and oil corrosion assessment. Data such as cell impedance and discharge capacity also support the success and reliability of the instrumentation process without affecting the battery performance. Compared with natural air cooling, immersion cooling can reduce the temperature rise during battery operation by >10 °C under high C-rate discharge conditions. However, this is accompanied by an increase in radial temperature gradient. The temperature gradient of the cell with oil immersed reaches a maximum of >7 °C, while the temperature gradient under natural cooling under the same test conditions is only 3 to 4 °C. This leads to intensified temperature inhomogeneity of the cell, which may accelerate the local ageing and degradation. Our instrumentation approach contributes to a deeper understanding of the thermal behaviour of batteries under direct immersion cooling, aiding the development of more advanced cooling strategies and associated battery thermal management models.