ABSTRACT
Battery performance is significantly influenced by temperature, as charging and discharging processes generate a considerable amount of heat. Failure to dissipate this heat rapidly results in elevated battery temperature, compromising safety and performance. A battery thermal management system (BTMS) aims to ensure optimal battery operation and longevity by dissipating heat and maintaining temperature within the ideal range. This chapter focuses on phase change material (PCM)-based BTMS. Traditional cooling strategies such as air cooling, liquid cooling, and heat pipe cooling are briefly discussed, followed by an elaborate exploration of PCM-based cooling. PCM-based BTMS is gaining attraction due to its advantages, including low energy consumption, improved temperature uniformity, lightweight design, enhanced energy efficiency, simplicity, thermal homogeneity, and affordability. PCMs can serve as passive or semi-passive systems, allowing autonomous operations. Various PCM-based BTMS options, including pure PCM, composite PCM, and hybrid PCM systems, are presented. Despite challenges related to thermal conductivity and storage capacity, enhancement strategies involving improved PCM thermal conductivity, extended heat transfer area, and coupling with other cooling techniques show promising results. Hybrid BTMS combinations such as air–PCM, liquid–PCM, and heat pipe–PCM offer superior temperature control for high-power battery packs. Commercial adoption of PCM-based systems in vehicles still requires further research and development. This chapter emphasizes the feasibility and potential of PCM-based BTMS while highlighting the need for sustained efforts towards commercialization.
