Effects of Composite Phase Change Material Thickness and Expanded Graphite Content on Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Management System


MORALI U.

Energy Technology, cilt.14, sa.3, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 14 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1002/ente.202501533
  • Dergi Adı: Energy Technology
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chimica, Compendex, Environment Index, Greenfile, INSPEC
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: battery thermal management, composite phase change material, expanded graphite, lithium-ion battery, thickness
  • Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The regulation of thermal dynamics in lithium-ion batteries is vital for operational efficiency, safety, and longevity in electric vehicles, especially under elevated ambient temperatures and heightened discharge requirements. The present study analyzes the thermal characteristics of a prismatic (Formula presented.) lithium-ion battery under diverse ambient temperature conditions and discharge rates, employing the ANSYS Fluent computational platform. At an environmental temperature of 45 (Formula presented.) C and a discharge rate of 5C, the temperature of the battery surface was observed to surpass the permissible operational limit, underscoring the necessity for a robust thermal management strategy. To address this, a composite phase change material-based thermal management system incorporating RTHC44 and expanded graphite was proposed. The influence of phase change material thickness and expanded graphite content on thermal performance was evaluated. Results indicated that a phase change material layer thickness of 9 mm successfully maintained the battery surface temperature below 60 (Formula presented.) C. Additionally, an expanded graphite content of 12 wt% was identified as the optimal composition for enhancing thermal conductivity. This research offers significant perspectives for optimizing thermal management systems with phase change materials to enhance lithium-ion battery performance and reliability.