Thermal Analysis on Module Level in an Automotive Battery Package

Z. Wu [1], H. Kemper [1],
[1] Energy Storage Systems, FH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
Published in 2016

Vehicles with battery as energy storage fascinate more and more people. Meanwhile, more questions are surfaced – How to ensure a safe operation of the battery package? How long could the cycle life of a battery package reach? Can a battery package be operated in any environmental circumstance? All these questions are the driving forces of our work – development of the optimal battery packs for specified automotive mission profiles. Based on the 3D model of single cell, an array of cells are modeled and simulated, which delivers the heating of a module. Depending on the position of individual cells in the module and the cooling method, the heating of cells varies. The maximal absolute temperature of all cells shall not exceed their maximal acceptable operational temperature, which is one of the most important criteria in battery package design. The simulation results are validated by tests. An agreement between the simulation and test is reached. Besides, the 3D models constructed in COMSOL® software play an important role in planning the battery tests. For the long term, our goal is to develop an advanced methodology for designing and prototyping automotive battery packages involving simulations to shorten the development procedure and minimized the costs.