Numerical simulation of dimensions and arrangement of triangular fins mounted on cylindrical lithium-ion batteries in passive thermal management

This paper examines a battery pack consisting of three cylindrical lithium-ion batteries in an enclosure saturated with Phase Change Material (PCM) using COMSOL software. A two-dimensional longitudinal section of the enclosure is evaluated transiently. There are 6 circular fins on the batteries, which are triangular in two dimensions. The temperature of the battery cells, the liquid volume fraction of PCM, and the heat transfer coefficient (HTCO) are studied using two fin arrangements on the battery. The FEM is used to solve the equations. The results show that the use of a fin with a width of 1 cm to 4 cm reduces the maximum temperature (Tma) of the battery pack by 2.04 and 2.15, respectively, for models F1 and F2. Also, using a 1-cm wide fin instead of a 4-cm one enhances the HTCO for models F1 and F2 by 20% and 19.4%, respectively. However, the use of a fin with a width of 4 cm compared to 1 cm intensifies the amount of liquid PCM at different times. The values of battery temperature (TBa), the amount of liquid PCM, and the amount of HTCO are intensified with time.

Automated summary

This paper examines the performance of a battery pack consisting of three cylindrical lithium-ion batteries enclosed in Phase Change Material. The study focuses on the effect of different fin arrangements on the temperature of the battery cells, the volume fraction of PCM, and the heat transfer coefficient. The results show that using narrower fins can reduce the maximum temperature of the battery pack and enhance the heat transfer coefficient, but it also increases the amount of liquid PCM.