Numerical Simulation of an Air Cooling System for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

The technology of lithium-ion batteries could be beneficial for electric vehicle applications. During the acceleration of electric vehicles, a big rate of discharge is needed. The higher charge and discharge rates produce a bigger temperature in lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are big energy materials and so there are safety concerns related to these batteries. Working at big temperatures causes several issues for lithium-ion batteries. In this investigation, the computational fluid dynamics procedure by Ansys was used for simulation of an air cooling system that can be used for thermal management of lithium-ion batteries. Different configurations were selected for the simulation. It was concluded that it is not feasible to provide a homogeneous temperature distribution in lithium-ion battery surface and battery pack by employing air cooling for thermal management of lithium-ion batteries.