Thermal management performance of large format battery using phase change material with different positions and volumes

The technology of utilizing phase change material for thermal management in lithium-ion batteries is garnering increasing interest. However, research on the optimal layout design of phase change material structures, which is often neglected or not given enough attention, is related to the heat dissipation efficiency and energy density of battery systems. Therefore, this study systematically investigates the effects of the positions and volumes of phase change materials on battery thermal management using numerical simulation methods. The results indicate that during normal operation of the phase change material, as their arrangement position moves from the end to the middle of the battery, there is a continuous decrease in the maximum surface temperature. Additionally, the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system varies from 5.27 kJ L⁻¹ to 13 kJ L⁻¹ at 1.5C and from 12.53 kJ L⁻¹ to 32.16 kJ L⁻¹ at 2C. While increasing the volume of the phase change material, the cooling efficiency shows a trend of increasing and then slightly decreasing, indicating the existence of an optimal volume of phase change material for effective thermal management, and type C5 is this choice. And type C4 is the optimal choice to balance the relationship between thermal management performance and energy density. This study offers novel insights and a theoretical foundation for optimizing the structural configuration of thermal management strategies involving phase change materials.