Role of phase change materials in creating uniform surface temperature on a lithium battery cell applicable in electric vehicles

With respect to the limitations of fossil energy resources, different types of electric vehicles (EVs) are developed as suitable alternatives. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cells play an extremely important role in EVs due to their unique features. But they need a thermal management system (TMS) to maintain their surface temperature uniformity and avoid them from thermal runaways. In the current study a phase change material (PCM) based TMS is introduced and applied to provide a uniform temperature distribution on a Li-ion battery cell surface. This PCM based TMS declines the final maximum temperature difference to (1/5) and (2/3) at 1 C and 2 C discharge rate respectively.