ABSTRACT

The depletion of non-renewable energy resources is compelling us to search and innovate for
the more reliable options. The reduction in the use of petroleum in the automobiles can
significantly affect the use of non-renewable energy resources. In the long run, Electric vehicles
are the best alternatives to the conventional IC engine automobiles. In electric vehicles, lithium-
ion batteries are most commonly used as an energy source due to their high energy density,
high capacity, and low self-discharge rate. During discharging, excessive heat generation inside
the battery will lead to thermal runaway. To operate efficiently, these batteries should be
maintained within the desired temperature range of 20oC to 40oC. Among the various cooling
methods, in this study air cooling is adopted. The battery pack is discharged at various constant
C ratings. The effect of air flow rate on the battery surface temperature is studied with
experimentation. Heat transfer coefficient is calculated by considering the average surface
temperature of the battery as the wall surface temperature. The CFD analysis is done by
considering steady state condition and boundary conditions are taken with experimental
observations. Experimental results are compared with CFD results with appropriate
approximations.

Keywords- Battery thermal management system, Li ion battery cooling, passive battery air
cooling.