Abstract
Thermal management plays a vital role in electric vehicle battery systems. It affects system performance, safety, life, and charge rate. This paper presents a study on a self-regulating electric vehicle battery pack that incorporates a novel hybrid thermal management system. It comprises a phase change material (PCM), a liquid coolant system, a temperature measurement system, and a control unit. This innovative system provides a combination of a passive system that utilizes a phase change material to buffer temperatures and an active system that utilizes a water-glycol coolant system to regulate temperatures. A thermal model of the system has been developed to simulate its behavior under various conditions. It considers heat generation, latent heat absorption, and convection heat transfer. This system can be implemented using a microcontroller. The experimental results show that the system can decrease the peak battery temperature by 8-12°C compared to the conventional air-cooled method, while maintaining a cell temperature variation of 2-3°C. The proposed hybrid cooling system can improve the thermal uniformity of the cells, increase the rate of heat dissipation, and maintain the battery at an optimal working range of 25-35°C. In addition, the system can reduce thermal stress, enhance safety, and increase energy efficiency by achieving moderate auxiliary power consumption. In summary, the experimental results prove that the proposed thermally self-regulating battery pack can be an effective, scalable, and energy-efficient solution for advanced thermal management of EV batteries.
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