Thermal performance of a hybrid thermal management system that couples PCM/copper foam composite with air-jet and liquid cooling

Abstract

The performance and safety of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is significantly dependent on the battery thermal management system (BTMS). A LIB module typically comprises multiple components, such as battery holders and positive and negative electrode terminals. Despite the advantages of hybrid BTMS that utilize phase-change material (PCM) and liquid cooling, challenges remain in achieving uniform temperature in irregular-shaped LIBs. Herein, a hybrid BTMS integrated PCM/copper foam (PCM/CF), along with an air jet pipe (AJP) and a liquid channel (LC) for cylindrical LIBs, is proposed. Numerical simulations are performed to evaluate the cooling performance of the hybrid BTMS. The results indicate that the battery holders decrease the heat dissipation capacity. Thermally conductive polymers as a material for the battery holder can mitigate heat build-up in LIBs. PCM/CF integrated with AJP and LC can decrease the maximum temperature (Tmax) and the temperature difference (ΔT) of LIB. Tmax and ΔT are optimized at 29.3 °C and 1.2 °C using an orthogonal experimental design. At ambient temperatures of 15 °C and 35 °C, the LIB achieves a Tmax of 19.1 °C and 35.6 °C with a corresponding ΔT of 1.6 °C and 2.3 °C, respectively, using specified inlet velocities and inlet temperatures. The proposed hybrid BTMS demonstrates improved heat dissipation performance and provides valuable insights for the designer.