Thermal Management of Electric Vehicle Batteries Using Heat Pipe and Phase Change Materials

Abstract

The performance of an electric vehicle depends on the battery used. While, in the operation of an electric vehicle, batteries experience a quick heating especially at the beginning of charging and could cause a fire. Therefore, the solution could be proposed is by employing heat pipe and Phase Change Material (PCM) for cooling of battery. The heat pipe serves to transfer the battery’s heat energy. In other hands, PCM functions as a heat sink when the battery runs, so its performance will stable and extend the lifespan. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of electric vehicle batteries at a temperature of 50°C using the combination of heat pipe and PCM. The ‘L’ type of heat pipe and beeswax PCM were assembled as cooling device. In addition, a battery simulator was employed as a test instrument by varying the heat load of 20, 30, 40, and 50 W. The experiments were successfully conducted, and the results showed that the addition of heat pipe and PCM could keep the surface temperature of battery below 50°C, at heat load of 20 - 50 W. Heat pipe and PCM for battery’s cooling system, can reduce the battery surface temperature significantly and can be proposed as an alternative system for cooling battery.