Chapter 7 - Battery thermal management using phase change material

Abstract

Electric mobility has gained immense attention in recent times due to less pollution and nonutilization of fossil fuels. The problem associated with the rechargeable lithium-ion battery must be solved for ground-level utilization of electric vehicles (EVs). The lithium-ion battery produces heat due to chemical reactions, and heat generation becomes extreme due to external parameters such as high ambient conditions or fast charging. The major limitation of lithium-ion batteries is that they can work effectively in the desired temperature range. The battery temperature above 65°C enlarges the possibility of thermal runaway and explosion. Hence, it is essential to design a system that can maintain battery temperature in the desired range, and this type of system is known as a battery thermal management system (BTMS). Active BTMSs such as air cooling and liquid cooling have been widely used in EVs. In comparison, the passive BTMS, such as phase change material (PCM)-based BTMS, is currently in the research phase and used in some EVs. PCM can absorb and store the battery heat in the form of latent heat and provide better temperature reduction than other active BTMS. In this chapter, various researches on PCM-based BTMS are reviewed, and issues are pointed out. The major limitation of PCM is found as low thermal conductivity. Many researchers tried to solve this problem by adding high-conductive materials, and the impact of those materials is also studied in this chapter. Different types of hybrid BTMS such as PCM with air circulation, PCM with liquid circulation, and PCM with heat pipe-based BTMS are discussed. This chapter will provide directions for developing efficient PCM-based BTMS for EVs.