Hybrid thermal management of a Li-ion battery module with phase change material and cooling water pipes: An experimental investigation

Using phase change materials (PCMs) has emerged as one of the most suitable technologies for battery thermal management in the electric vehicles (EVs). However, if PCMs are employed alone, some challenges such as low heat transfer rate will emerge; this encourages the combination of PCMs with conventional cooling systems; the resultant cooling system is known as hybrid thermal management system (TMS). In the current study, two hybrid TMSs including PCM and cooling water pipes are presented for a Li-ion module with high-capacity prismatic cells. In order to evaluate the thermal performance of hybrid TMSs, five other cases (two active, one passive and two naturally ventilated) are constructed and the thermal performance of the seven cases is experimentally evaluated and analyzed. The results indicate the effective role of PCM in creating a uniform temperature distribution among cells in the two hybrid cases and the passive case (i.e., the case comprising only PCM). However, the required time for cooling down of cells to the average temperature of 30 degrees C in the passive case was longer than that of the two hybrid cases. Moreover, the maximum temperature in the hybrid cases becomes significantly smaller than other cases establishing the superior thermal performance of hybrid TMSs.