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Featured Application: Electric Vehicle, Data Center, Simulink, etc. This study examines the use of meta-heuristic algorithms, specifically particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithms, for optimizing thermal systems, addressing a research gap on their efficacy in larger systems. Utilizing MATLAB's Simulink and Simscape, the research initially targets an electric vehicle thermal system model, emphasizing the optimization of a Li-ion battery pack and associated cooling components, like chillers, pumps, and cooling plates, during operation. One consideration is the use of a glycerol–water mixture in the chiller pump, which demands the use of an optimal control algorithm that adjusts to outdoor temperatures and control strategies. This study focuses on computational efficiency reflecting the complexity of system simulations. Challenges related to applying particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithms to these systems are scrutinized, leading to the establishment of a new objective function to pinpoint target values for system optimization. This research aims to refine design methodologies for engineers by harmonizing optimal design with computational expediency, thereby enhancing the engineering design process in thermal management. This integrative approach promises to yield practical insights, benefiting engineers dedicated to the advancement of thermal system design and optimization. The results show that, compared to the base model, 1% of the overall state of charge could be saved, and the battery temperature could also be cooled by more than 4 °C compared to the initial temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerodynamic characteristics are of great significance to the fuel economy and handling the stability of electric vehicles. The battery pack of electric vehicles has a huge structure and is usually arranged in the chassis area of the vehicle, which inevitably occupies the space at the bottom of the vehicle and affects the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle. To study the effect of the power battery pack installed in the chassis on the aerodynamics characteristics of the electric vehicle, the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method is used to study the flow and pressure fields of the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) hierarchical car model with battery packs mounted on chassis. The influence of the structure parameters of the battery pack on the automobile's aerodynamics are also analyzed in detail. Based on the simulation results, it can be seen that the battery pack installed on the chassis has a great impact on the flow and pressure field at the bottom and tail of the vehicle, causing the drag coefficient and lift coefficient to increase. The structural parameters of the battery pack have contradictory effects on the drag and lift coefficients. As the length of the battery pack increases, the drag coefficient decreases, and the lift coefficient increases. As the battery pack width and height increase, the drag coefficient increases, and the lift coefficient decreases. The research results provide a reference for the optimization of the aerodynamic characteristics of electric vehicles with battery packs mounted on chassis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic research in the battery field frequently remains limited to small coin or pouch cells, especially for new materials that are still rather far from commercialization, which renders a meaningful evaluation at an early stage of development challenging. Here, the realization of large lab‐scale pouch cells comprising Sn0.9Mn0.1O2 (SMO), prepared via an easily scalable hydrothermal synthesis method, as an alternative active material for the negative electrode and LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 (NMC622) as a commercially available active material for the positive electrode is reported. Nine double‐layer pouch cells are connected in series and parallel, suitable for powering a remote‐controlled vehicle. Subsequently, these SMO‖NMC622 cells are critically evaluated by means of an early‐stage life cycle assessment and compared to graphite‖NMC622 cells, in order to get first insights into the potential advantages and challenges of such lithium‐ion chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electric vehicles are not completely emission-free. The vehicles consume power and the power generation processes involve carbon emissions, resulting in indirect vehicle usage carbon emissions. A use-phase carbon emissions assessment can help electric vehicle designers and manufacturers analyze the onboard carbon footprint and mitigate vehicle-related carbon emissions through energy consumption optimization. In this article, we focus on the use-phase carbon footprint based on the energy losses in electric vehicle battery packs. A battery pack energy loss model is established to examine the carbon footprint of four main subsystems of the battery pack, including the energy storage system, thermal management system, and battery junction box. We use the proposed method to evaluate the battery pack use-phase carbon emissions in four different cities from four main continents. The results show that the highest emissions appear in Tokyo (436.2 kgCO 2) due to the relatively high greenhouse gas factor on the grid, the London has the lowest 207.5 kgCO 2 emissions due to the massive adoption of sustainable energy during power generation. With a similar high greenhouse gas factor, but Sydney shows lower emissions (347.5 kgCO 2) compared to Tokyo, which illustrates the closer the annual average temperature to the battery suitable operation range, the lower energy loss happens inside the battery pack due to the low thermal management load and resistance energy loss in the cells. This electric vehicle has the highest energy loss rate (20.8%) in New York, 343.6 kgCO 2 emissions, and the highest thermal management system energy losses show the high seasonal temperature difference causing the high thermal management load to maintain the battery temperature. The proposed method can be used for different battery pack configurations and vehicle uses, providing researchers with a robust and versatile use-phase carbon emissions assessment strategy. • A battery pack use-phase carbon footprint assessment strategy is proposed. • The carbon emissions for four battery pack subsystems are calculated. • Temperature has the greatest impact on the battery pack carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles are a clean energy transportation option recently emerged as an alternative to the conventional engine powered vehicles. These vehicles are using Lithium ion battery as energy storage for their propulsion because of its energy density. Due to the chemical reaction of battery elements and internal resistance, the battery releases heat during charging and discharging. Unless this heat is controlled to be within the battery optimum operating temperature, the battery performance and life will be seriously affected. This paper is dedicated to conduct fundamental studies on the battery cooling. A three dimensional numerical analysis is made using PHOENICS version 2018. Cylindrical type battery cell is used in this study. The study gives insight to thermal response, flow field and temperature profiles in the battery module with air flow direction relative to battery cell orientation and cell arrangement. Temperature variation along the flow, and transverse direction of the battery pack is discussed. With a 5 mm inter cell spacing and symmetric arrangement, maximum cell to cell temperature variation in the axial flow type is observed to be 0.2 °C, while in the radial flow type about 3.5 °C for same arrangement. Quantitative and qualitative results obtained from the numerical test are presented. Furthermore, this work is believed to contribute to the improvement of battery air cooling system design in such a way the associated cost and efficiency is compromised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pack of batteries is one of the most important and expensive assemblies for an electric vehicle. A pack of batteries is comprised of several batteries connected in series. The number of the batteries connected depends on the operating voltage of the vehicle's on-board system as well as on the individual characteristics of the batteries used, e.g. the operating voltage of a single cell. One or several cells of a pack of batteries could be damaged if improperly exploiting an electric vehicle- excessively discharging the batteries or overloading the electric vehicle. If a self-converted vehicle does not use an intellectual BMS (battery management system) that can identify and register voltage drop for any individual cell in the high-load regime, e.g. when accelerating, it is difficult to identify and change the cells damaged. In case a cell does not demonstrate a complete failure, it is almost impossible to identify a defect in any regime other than the load regime. The research developed and compared three different methods for identifying defective battery cells. The methods were approbated on a converted Renault Clio. The experiment involved making voltage measurements in road tests, running the electric vehicle on a roll test bench and making voltage measurements of maximally discharged batteries in the no-load regime. A comparison of the measurement results revealed that the measurements made in the road tests were the most accurate and useful. After the experiment, the defective battery cells were replaced, thereby restoring the performance of the battery pack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The reliability assessment of battery packs is an important topic in the reliability design of electric vehicles. To improve the accuracy of the reliability analysis, a modified reliability model for lithium-ion battery packs is developed that couples multiphysics models, degradation models, and a multistate system reliability model. For the degradation models, a stochastic capacity degradation model and a dynamic response impedance (DRI) model are established based on experimental data: a) the stochastic capacity degradation characteristics of cells are investigated, and b) the dynamic response characteristics of the impedance with degradation and changing temperature are studied. It is found that Weibull distribution is slightly more appropriate than normal distribution when the temperature is 25 °C, then reversed with increasing temperature. The algorithm for distribution selection is proposed to describing this concept drift phenomenon. Then, the influence of DRI on the thermal performance is analyzed. Finally, reliability assessment of battery pack and several calculation examples are implemented for comparative analysis. The results show that the fading rate of cells in battery pack are accelerated when DRI is incorporated. Thus, multiphysics-based system reliability model with considering the stochastic capacity degradation and DRI enables more scientific and accurate reliability evaluation of battery pack. Highlights • A modified reliability model for lithium-ion battery packs is developed. • A stochastic degradation model with normal and Weibull distribution is established. • A temperature and capacity dependent dynamic response impedance model is established. • The effect of dynamic response impedance on reliability of battery pack is analyzed. • The simulation results show the fading rate of cells in battery pack are accelerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposed a Fuzzy FMEA for risk assessment of an immersion-cooled battery pack in EV. • Provide a detailed assessment of the probable causes and effects of failure to the design engineers. • An analysis of battery pack functions, failure modes, causes, and effects concerning their severity, occurrences, and detection ranks. • The most important causes of failure are sealing, BMS, structure design and assembly of mechanical components. • Using fuzzy inference engine, the RPN values are modified to improve the FMEA. Vehicle electrification is one of the changes in the modern-day car enterprise trend. The battery pack is the most vital and precarious part of a battery-powered electric vehicle, which necessitates accurate and reliable designs to ensure acceptable safety. To this end, one of the tried and tested methods that help identify problems and make products more reliable is Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA). This paper presents a Fuzzy FMEA for risk assessment of an immersion-cooled battery pack (ICBP) in electric vehicles. As a new technology, immersion cooling can facilitate high-rate fast charging and a longer battery life cycle for lithium-ion batteries. Different failure modes and relevant causes and effects are investigated in this vein. Each failure's severity, occurrence, and detection rank are extracted and displayed as a standard FMEA table. The monitoring results of all stages of design, manufacture, and initial tests indicate that the most important causes of failure in an ICBP are the sealing method, BMS function, cell temperature control, structure, and assembly of mechanical components. To some extent, it was attempted to reduce the occurrence of failures by recommending actions to reduce the occurrence of those failures. Consequently, a significant improvement was achieved, and the production and installation of problematic parts were managed efficiently and effectively with the help of an FMEA control plan table. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: By year 2020, due to enormous growth of production of electric vehicles, it is estimated that approximately 250 000 tons of battery must be disposed or recycled. Till date, the technology to recycle this much amount of batteries in a single year does not exist. Nor, do the methods for recycling are standardized and regulated because of differences in configurations of battery packs. This article conducts a systematic review on research of recycling methods for battery pack used in various stages such as from the dismantling/ disassembly of the battery pack, the detection of the residual energy of the battery, and the recycling/recovery of materials from the battery. The review summarizes basically the 2 main aspects of recycling of battery pack: the mechanical procedure and the chemical recycling. The work describes the existing recycling technology in these 2 aspects and identifies the important research problems in the process of recycling of battery pack such as (1) complexity of dismantling process of battery pack; (2) diversity of connectors used in battery pack; (3) safety of dismantling of battery pack; (4) instability of chemical materials in battery; (5) the chaos of the recycling market; and (6) emerging battery dismantling technologies. One important direction suggested is the automation of battery pack disassembly, which is a main factor towards formulation of generic framework for recycling of battery pack in an efficient manner. Based on these gaps, the present work also proposes a framework for the recycling of battery pack by combining the semi‐automation mechanical procedure of battery pack and enhanced chemical recycling of battery for recovery of vital materials. Future work for authors is to work on establishing and validation of proposed framework. The advantages of the proposed framework are compared with that obtained from the existing framework. The proposed framework when used shall result in efficient and effective recycling of battery module and promote greener environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A battery pack is the main energy storage element, and directly affects the performance of an electric vehicle. Battery thermal management system research and its development for a modern electric vehicle is required. This paper selects the forced air cooling of battery pack as the research object, and uses simulation methods to research the heat dissipation performance with different structures of battery packs. The results indicate that according to the four types of transient state conditions, the rising temperature of both battery packs are significantly higher than the temperature difference, the maximum temperature rise and temperature difference of a horizontal battery pack are lower than a longitudinal battery pack. When an electric vehicle begins to decrease speed, the curves of temperature rising and temperature difference increase. This shows the internal heat is continuously rising, so even in a electric vehicle beginning to decrease speed, the fan must work. The reference basis for choosing battery pack type and an analysis of heat flow field characteristics, including fan run-time control, are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key factor for the safety of electric vehicles, electric vehicles are focused on battery pack stability rather than vehicle dynamics. The stability of battery pack depends on the performance of suspensions and battery supporting system. Automobile suspensions can reduce the bumps and vibrations that come from road unevenness. Its purposes are to prevent the shock and vibration from transferring to the body, and reduce the vibration of the battery pack. To improve the performance of suspension systems of the electric vehicle and the stability of battery pack, the paper proposes a study on the interaction of electric vehicle roll and battery pack stability. 9-DOF vehicle vibration and roll model was established based on analysis of movement of the battery pack. Then simulation model was established to check the result to get the reasonable suspension stiffness by using Matlab/Simulink. The results show that the stiffness of the suspension is increased by configuring a high performance shock absorber and a short spring. Although it will inhibit roll, simply increasing the hardness of the shock absorber and the spring will cause a lot of negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper established the three degree of freedom mathematical model, based on the two degree of freedom linear model with two wheel steering. Then the dynamics differential equation is obtained. With a step input of the front wheel, observing and analyzing the yaw rate response and the side slip angle response in the whole process based on MATLAB/Simulink. Finally, by changing the position of the battery pack to transform the location of the gravity center of the whole vehicle, analyzing the impact on the electric vehicle's steering characteristic while the location of battery pack changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations in cell properties are unavoidable and can be caused by manufacturing tolerances and usage conditions. As a result of this, cells connected in series may have different voltages and states of charge that limit the energy and power capability of the complete battery pack. Methods of removing this energy imbalance have been extensively reported within literature. However, there has been little discussion around the effect that such variation has when cells are connected electrically in parallel. This work aims to explore the impact of connecting cells, with varied properties, in parallel and the issues regarding energy imbalance and battery management that may arise. This has been achieved through analysing experimental data and a validated model. The main results from this study highlight that significant differences in current flow can occur between cells within a parallel stack that will affect how the cells age and the temperature distribution within the battery assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale commercialization of electric vehicles (EVs) seeks to develop battery systems with higher energy efficiency and improved thermal performance. Integrating simulation-based design optimization in battery development process expands the possibilities for novel design exploration. This study presents a dual-stage multiphysics simulation optimization methodology for comprehensive concept design of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery packs for EV applications. At the first stage, multi-objective optimization of electrochemical thermally coupled cells is performed using genetic algorithm considering the specific energy and the maximum temperature of the cells as design objectives. At the second stage, the energy efficiency and the thermal performances of each optimally designed cell are evaluated under pack operation to account for cell-to-pack interactions under realistic working scenarios. When operating at 1.5 C discharge current, the battery pack comprising optimally designed cells for which the specific energy and the maximum temperature are equally weighted delivers the highest specific energy with enhanced thermal performance. The most favorable pack design shows 8% reduction in maximum pack temperature and 16.1% reduction in module-to-module temperature variations compared to commercially available pack. The methodology for design optimization presented in this work is generic, providing valuable knowledge for future cell and pack designs that employ different chemistries and configurations. • Novel battery pack design methodology is proposed through a multiphysics simulation optimization framework. • Multi-objective optimization is used for electrochemical thermally coupled battery cells. • Thermal performance of battery cells is essential to improved battery pack performance. • Generic simulation-based optimization methodology for future design of battery cells and packs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A 35kWh battery pack with a novel hybrid thermal management system is prototyped. • Phase change material is innovatively integrated with cooling plate. • The battery thermal management at the battery pack level and module level is studied. • Both cooling and thermal insulation performances are investigated. • Desirable control strategies are obtained for battery pack under 0.5C to 1.5C discharge rates. Controlling the temperature of a battery pack within an optimal range and ensuring uniform temperature distribution are the key to improving battery life. With the elevating energy density of batteries, more efficient and energy-saving thermal management system is urgently required for improving electric vehicle (EV) performance in terms of safety and long-term durability. In this work, a novel hybrid thermal management system towards a high-voltage battery pack for EVs is developed. Both passive and active components are integrated into the cooling plate to provide a synergistic function. A 35kWh battery pack incorporated with electrical, mechanical and thermal management components was designed, manufactured and integrated. As the core hardware, a pack-level cooling plate set was innovatively designed by integrating with phase change material (PCM). The results show that the combined passive and active cooling strategy ensured a desirable working temperature below 40˚C and a uniform heat distribution across the entire pack at discharging rates ranging from 0.5C to 1.5C under customized control strategies. Moreover, the cycling performance of air cooling and hybrid cooling, as well as the thermal insulation performance at both battery module level and pack level are compared, demonstrating the superior thermal management capability of the hybrid solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A pack comprising the electro-thermal coupling of individual cells was developed. • Z shape module shows a significant advantage over a ladder configuration. • The correlation between system inhomogeneity and design parameters was quantified. • Contact resistance has the highest impact on the inhomogeneity of a system. • There is not a strong correlation between system inhomogeneity and C-rate. Cell-to-cell variations can originate from manufacturing inconsistency or poor design of the battery pack/thermal management system. The potential impact of such variations may limit the energy capacity of the pack, which for electric vehicle applications leads to reduced range, increased degradation along with state of health dispersion within a pack. The latter is known to reduce the accessible energy and the overcharging/discharging of some of the cells within a system, which may cause safety concerns. This study investigates the short-term impact of such effects, which is highly important for designing of an energy storage system. A generic pack model comprising individual cell models is developed in Simscape and validated for a 1s-15p module architecture. The results highlight that a number of cells and interconnection resistance values between the cells are the dominant factors for cell-to-cell variation. A Z shape module architecture show a significant advantage over a ladder configuration due to the reduced impact of interconnection resistance on differential current flow within the module. Current imbalance is significantly higher for a ladder system and its magnitude is not dependent on the module current. Capacity variation does not have a significant impact on the system. By increasing the capacity variation from 9% to 40% the current inhomogeneity increases from 4% to 13%, whilst 25% resistance variation leads to 22% current dispersion. Further, a linear relationship is observed between the current inhomogeneity and thermal gradient (Δ T). A 30 °C Δ T leads to 24% current variation within the module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) to the market sets outstanding requirements for battery performance to extend vehicle driving range, prolong battery service life, and reduce battery costs. There is a growing need to accurately and robustly model the performance of both individual cells and their aggregated behavior when integrated into battery packs. This paper presents a novel methodology for Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery pack simulations under actual operating conditions of an electric mining vehicle. The validated electrochemical-thermal models of Li-ion battery cells are scaled up into battery modules to emulate cell-to-cell variations within the battery pack while considering the random variability of battery cells, as well as electrical topology and thermal management of the pack. The performance of the battery pack model is evaluated using transient experimental data for the pack operating conditions within the mining environment. The simulation results show that the relative root mean square error for the voltage prediction is 0.7–1.7% and for the battery pack temperature 2–12%. The proposed methodology is general and it can be applied to other battery chemistries and electric vehicle types to perform multi-objective optimization to predict the performance of large battery packs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various battery thermal management systems have been proposed in the literature to keep the battery operating temperature within the optimum operating range of 15 °C to 35 °C. Doing so leads to increased battery pack service life, safer operation, and reduced costs. Here, a comparative assessment of battery thermal management systems is presented, focusing on the development of the most recent proposed category of battery thermal management systems, liquid-to-vapor phase change cooling systems, and a competitive assessment is performed among these systems and with other battery thermal management systems. It is found that for prismatic battery packs it is best to use the tube based system, where the coolant fills tubes that are embedded within a metallic cold plate that separates the batteries. However, for cylindrical battery packs only one configuration of the cooling system has been proposed in the literature and it is determined that the best coolant among the possible options is ammonia. Ammonia performs the best for both cylindrical and prismatic battery packs. Further research is recommended to adapt tube based systems for cylindrical battery packs, and to investigate other integrations between conventional cooling systems and liquid-to-vapor phase change systems. • Comparative assessment of recently developed categories of battery thermal management systems. • Focus on liquid-to-vapor phase change cooling systems. • Compares the liquid-to-vapor phase change cooling systems with conventional systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]