Thermal performance of battery thermal management system using fins to enhance the combination of thermoelectric Cooler and phase change Material

In this study, a hybrid active & passive BTMS(Battery Thermal Management System) that uses fins to enhance the combination of TEC(Thermoelectric Cooler) and PCM(Phase Change Material) is shown. The cold side of the TECs produces a cooling effect, which is used to cool the PCM and prevent it from melting completely in a short time, thereby extending the temperature control time. Fins are used to transfer the heat of the PCM to the cold side of the TECs, and effectively cool the batteries at high temperatures. The effects of different fin thicknesses (2 mm-8 mm) and different TEC input currents (1A-6A) on thermal management performance were analyzed by numerical simulation. The results show that the temperature control time was prolonged by 12% when the fins were increased from 2 mm to 8 mm, but the temperature difference increased by 13.7%. When the current changed from 1A to 6A, the temperature control time increased by 87.42%, but the temperature difference and COP became worse. Comprehensive analysis of temperature control time, temperature difference, COP, 4 mm fin thickness, and TEC input current of 3A were optimal for the model in this paper.