Investigating the effects of variable pulse charging on temperature during charging of battery electric vehicles

Abstract

This study investigates the efficacy of variable pulse charging (VPC) on charging 18,650 secondary battery packs (12 V, 20 Ah) with NMC chemistry. VPC, a modern technique applied to secondary battery charging, aims to mitigate effects like a thermal runaway and thermal propagation caused by increased charging temperature. VPC involves varied duty factors (10 % to 90 %), charging rates (0.5C, 1C, 1.5C), and an optimal switching frequency determined through frequency response analysis. Its digital model is based on in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements and MATLAB/Simulink simulations. At charging rates of 0.5C (10 A), 1C (20 A), and 1.5C (30 A), the temperature of the battery pack reaches 42.46 °C, 57.87 °C, and 70.37 °C, respectively. However, implementing VPC at a 50 % duty factor yields temperature reductions of 3.66 °C, 5.06 °C, and 5.42 °C, respectively. Similarly, employing VPC at a 10 % duty cycle results in temperature reductions of 11.2 °C, 17.7 °C, and 19.1 °C, respectively. The results indicate a significant reduction in charging temperature compared to constant current charging. Furthermore, the 1C condition is validated using a custom-made dual active bridge DC-DC variable pulse charger. In conclusion, applying optimal frequency-based VPC with specific duty factors demonstrates the potential to reduce temperature elevation during battery pack charging significantly.