Thermal modeling of passive thermal management system with phase change material for LiFePO4 battery

The temperature of lithium-ion batteries in EVs must be maintained in a proper range for safety using and optimum performance. To solve the thermal problem of LiFePO4 battery, a passive thermal management system with phase change material (PCM) is discussed. D.C. resistance of the cell is measured by voltammetry method based on HPPC test, and the results can be used to calculate the heat generation rate. Paraffin is used as phase change material in this passive thermal management system. Thermal model of the system is established by finite element analysis (FEA) software, and the result is validated with experimental data. Compared to nature convection and forced air cooling, the maximum temperature of the cell decreases a little after using paraffin as phase change material.