Investigation of the effect of aspect ratio in an enclosure filled with phase change materials and its effect on thermal management of lithium-ion batteries: Applicable for storing solar energy

Abstract

The numerical and transient behavior of a battery pack (BA-PK) consisting of three battery cells positioned within an air duct is investigated in this work. The BA-PK was connected to a solar system. The inside of the BA-PK is filled with phase change material. The air within the duct moved at a speed of 0.001–0.003 m/s around the BA-PK. The investigation was carried out by altering the dimensions of the BA-PK using COMSOL software. The finite element approach is used to solve the equations. The results of this research indicated that the battery temperature (Tbatt) drops gradually until the surrounding area is filled with molten PCM, but that once the PCM around the battery is entirely frozen, the Tbatt drops abruptly. The use of a larger BA-PK increases the temperature of the exhaust air out of the duct, but reduces the percentage of solid PCM. The Tbatt, as well as the maximum Tbatt and average TPCM within the compartment, are reduced by using a smaller BA-PK. In addition to increasing the quantity of solid PCM, increasing the speed lowers the temperatures of the batteries and PCM, as well as the temperature of the exhaust air.