Enhancing Thermal performance of Lithium-Ion Battery Pack by integrating Phase Change Material with Convective Surface Cooling Technique for Electric Bike Application

Abstract

The thermal behavior of Lithium-ion battery pack has a substantial impact on its cycle life, charge-discharge characteristics, and safety. This research presents a comparative experimental analysis of the thermal performance of a lithium-ion battery pack designed for an electric bike, both with and without the use of phase change material (PCM). In both cases, a novel approach of passing air over the casing of the battery pack is employed to induce natural and forced convection conditions, ensuring compliance with IP67 standards. The study examines the temporal variation of battery pack temperature under various constant discharge rates. The study demonstrated that the forced convection cooling method was more effective in maintaining the maximum temperature (Tmax) of the battery pack below the optimal and safe temperature limits as compared to the natural convection cooling method in the absence of phase change materials (PCM). With the incorporation of PCM, the Tmax was found to be 24.6% lower than the baseline case. Furthermore, the temperature homogeneity within the battery pack was significantly enhanced, as the maximum temperature difference (ΔTmax) was reduced by 61% compared to the baseline case. The combination of natural cooling and PCM is found to be the most effective at 0.75C discharge.