Role of Phase Change Material Thermal Conductivity on Predicting Battery Thermal Effectiveness for Electric Vehicle Application

Abstract

AbstractIn the translation of modern automotive industry from internal combustion engine vehicle to electric vehicle, there is more demand for the robust and reliable battery pack which can sustain high temperature. It can deliver required output energy to maintain mileage of the vehicle, but due to several warm fled condition, there is a significant drop of mileage in an electric vehicle. The thermal management system is a strategic development to maintain thermal equilibrium around high-power energy density battery pack causing utilization of available potential charge to run the vehicle. The thermal management system is classified into two main types such as active thermal management system and passive thermal management system. The investigation is performed for 5S3P having a maximum 18.6 A at 2-C rate output battery pack. The study determines the importance of multi-objective strategies to investigate paraffin wax and N-Eicosane with increased thermal conductivity range from 0.24–023 W/mK (Natural thermal conductivity of both materials), to 1 W/mK, 3 W/mK, and 6 W/mK for the following 4 cases of C rates such as 0.5 C, 1 C, 1.5 C, and 2 C. An empirical relationship is developed between the configuration of the battery pack without thermal management system and the battery pack with thermal management system. The battery effectiveness is determine in extended work to find optimum thermal management configuration. The obtained results show that when the thermal conductivity of PCM increases, the liquid fraction rate increases with proportional cooling of the battery cells; a significant decrease in temperature around the cells is monitored. The effectiveness of the battery with N-Eicosane is better than paraffin wax because N-Eicosane induces a higher thermal effusion than paraffin wax.KeywordsAutomotive industryBattery packElectric vehiclesPhase change materialThermal conductivity