Development of a Temperature Management System for Battery Packs Using Phase Change Materials and Additive Manufacturing Options

Abstract

The broad acceptance of electromobility depends heavily on the performance and service life of the battery technology used. Lithium-ion battery technology is currently the most promising energy storage technology for mobile applications, but the performance and capacity of the cells are extremely temperature sensitive. Especially in these new complex and powerful applications, there is a significant need for thermal management. Depending on the ambient conditions, part of the effective battery energy must, therefore, be used to temper the system. So far, mainly active components have been used for this task. This not only reduces the overall efficiency but also increases the weight, volume, and maintenance requirements of the system. In the present work, an alternative battery temperature management system was developed. A concept based on latent heat storage materials was created, which uses the advantages of thermal energy storage and the design freedom of additive manufacturing technology, and its suitability for use in battery applications was checked. On the one hand, the use of systems for storing thermal energy was researched and, on the other hand, an innovative cooling concept was created considering new production possibilities.