Optimization and analysis of battery thermal management system structure based on flat heat pipes and biomimetic fins

Abstract

As one of the key components of electric vehicles, the enhancement of the performance of the power battery is closely intertwined with an efficient Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS). In the realm of BTMS, Flat Heat Pipes (FHP) have garnered considerable attention due to their lightweight structure and excellent thermal conductivity. Thus, a BTMS configuration scheme based on FHP is proposed in this study. Utilizing orthogonal design and fuzzy grey relational analysis as the evaluation methods, coupled with numerical simulations, an investigation into the influence of four structural parameters of the novel biomimetic fins (namely, the diameter, height, spacing of protrusions, and height of cooling fins) on the temperature distribution of the battery pack is conducted. The research findings indicate that to maintain the battery within an optimal operational temperature range, the optimal dimensional parameters should be controlled at 17.5 mm, 4 mm, 13 mm, and 90 mm, respectively. Subsequent sensitivity analysis reveals that the height of the protrusions exhibits the most significant influence on the maximum temperature of the module, whereas the height of the cooling fins exerts a considerable impact on the consistency of the module temperature. The optimized maximum temperature is determined to be 36.52 °C, with a temperature difference of 2.65 °C.