Numerical investigation of a battery thermal management system integrated with vapor chamber and thermoelectric refrigeration

Abstract

An efficient battery thermal management system is crucial for ensuring the working temperature environment of batteries and extending their lifespan. In this paper, a novel battery thermal management system combining vapor chambers and thermoelectric coolers is proposed to improve the battery's thermal behavior. Also, a complete fluid-thermal-electric multiphysics numerical model for the proposed system is built to predict its thermal performance under different cooling parameters. Results show that the use of thermoelectric coolers and vapor chambers can greatly lower the maximum temperature and temperature difference of batteries. Although the maximum temperature decreases with the increase of air convection heat transfer coefficient and coolant flow rate, the temperature difference increases at the same time. Under the given optimal air and water cooling parameters, it is noticed that as the input current of thermoelectric coolers increases, the maximum temperature and temperature difference show a pattern of decreasing first and then increasing. The optimal air convective heat transfer coefficient, coolant flow rate, and input current of 50 W/(m2·K), 0.04 m/s, and 1.5 A, respectively, are suggested, which corresponds to the maximum temperature of 39.83°C and temperature difference of 5.97°C. The present research introduces a fresh perspective on efficient battery thermal management, offering detailed insights into the utilization of thermoelectric cooling for this purpose.