Adaptive battery thermal management systems in unsteady thermal application contexts

Abstract

With the increasing attention paid to battery technology, the microscopic reaction mechanism and macroscopic heat transfer process of lithium-ion batteries have been further studied and understood from both academic and industrial perspectives. Temperature, as one of the key parameters in the physical framework of batteries, affects the performance of the multi-physical fields within the battery, and its effective control is crucial. Since the heat generation in the battery is determined by the real-time operating conditions, the battery temperature is essentially controlled by the real-time heat dissipation conditions provided by the battery thermal management system. Conventional battery thermal management systems have basic temperature control capabilities for most conventional application scenarios. However, with the current development of large-scale, integrated, and intelligent battery technology, the advancement of battery thermal management technology will pay more attention to the effective control of battery temperature under sophisticated situations, such as high power and widely varied operating conditions. In this context, this paper presents the latest advances and representative research related to battery thermal management system. Firstly, starting from battery thermal profile, the mechanism of battery heat generation is discussed in detail. Secondly, the static characteristics of the traditional battery thermal management system are summarized. Then, considering the dynamic requirements of battery heat dissipation under complex operating conditions, the concept of adaptive battery thermal management system is proposed based on specific research cases. Finally, the main challenges for battery thermal management system in practice are identified, and potential future developments to overcome these challenges are presented and discussed.