One-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigations of Thermal Performance of Phase Change Materials in a Lithium-Ion Battery

Abstract

The thermal performance of a large-format (52.3 Ah) Li-ion pouch battery with an noctadecane PCM was investigated. A simplified 1D model was employed to estimate the transient thermal behavior. Two design parameters, the thickness and the thermal conductivity of the PCM, were considered. A 0.5 mm thick n-octadecane PCM integrated with aluminum foam reduced the battery temperature to 34.3 ?C and 50.7 ?C at the end stage of discharging under 3C and 5C discharge rates, respectively. The 1D results compared to the 3D results were able to predict the temperature dissipation by the PCM method at the end of discharging. The 1D approach clearly produced reliable results in predicting the thermal behavior of the PCM cooling and was superior in practical applications with its low cost and time consumption. A 3D CFD simulation was able to describe the detailed temperature uniformity in the cell, which is an important factor in the design and evaluation of a battery cooling system.