Thermal Characteristics of an Oscillating Heat Pipe Cooling System for Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries

The heat generation of lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) leads to a degradation of energy capacity and lifetime. To solve this problem, a new cooling concept using an oscillating heat pipe (OHP) is proposed. In the present study, an OHP has been adopted for Li-ion battery cooling. Due...

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Main Authors: Ri-Guang Chi, Won-Sik Chung, Seok-Ho Rhi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018-03-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/3/655
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spelling doaj-11274f11f2984dae9e4108ef502cb9052020-11-25T01:02:53ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732018-03-0111365510.3390/en11030655en11030655Thermal Characteristics of an Oscillating Heat Pipe Cooling System for Electric Vehicle Li-Ion BatteriesRi-Guang Chi0Won-Sik Chung1Seok-Ho Rhi2Applied Thermal Engineering Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungbuk National University, 1 ChungDae-ro, SeoWon-gu, Cheongju 28644, KoreaApplied Thermal Engineering Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungbuk National University, 1 ChungDae-ro, SeoWon-gu, Cheongju 28644, KoreaApplied Thermal Engineering Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungbuk National University, 1 ChungDae-ro, SeoWon-gu, Cheongju 28644, KoreaThe heat generation of lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) leads to a degradation of energy capacity and lifetime. To solve this problem, a new cooling concept using an oscillating heat pipe (OHP) is proposed. In the present study, an OHP has been adopted for Li-ion battery cooling. Due to the limited space in EVs, the cooling channel is installed on the bottom of the battery module. In the bottom cooling method with an OHP, generated heat can be dissipated easily and conveniently. However, most studies on heat pipes have used bottom heating and top or side cooling methods, so we investigate the various effects of parameters with a top heating/bottom cooling mode with the OHP, i.e., the inclination angle of the system, amount of working fluid charged, the heating amount, and the cold plate temperature with ethanol as a working fluid. The experimental results show that the thermal resistance (0.6 °C/W) and uneven pulsating features influence the heat transfer performance. A heater used as a simulated battery was sustained under 60 °C under 10 W and 14 W heating conditions. This indicates that the proposed cooling system with the bottom cooling is feasible for use as an EV’s battery cooling system.http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/3/655oscillating heat pipe (OHP)Li-ion battery coolingelectric vehicles (EVs)
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Ri-Guang Chi
Won-Sik Chung
Seok-Ho Rhi
spellingShingle Ri-Guang Chi
Won-Sik Chung
Seok-Ho Rhi
Thermal Characteristics of an Oscillating Heat Pipe Cooling System for Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries
Energies
oscillating heat pipe (OHP)
Li-ion battery cooling
electric vehicles (EVs)
author_facet Ri-Guang Chi
Won-Sik Chung
Seok-Ho Rhi
author_sort Ri-Guang Chi
title Thermal Characteristics of an Oscillating Heat Pipe Cooling System for Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries
title_short Thermal Characteristics of an Oscillating Heat Pipe Cooling System for Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries
title_full Thermal Characteristics of an Oscillating Heat Pipe Cooling System for Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries
title_fullStr Thermal Characteristics of an Oscillating Heat Pipe Cooling System for Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries
title_full_unstemmed Thermal Characteristics of an Oscillating Heat Pipe Cooling System for Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries
title_sort thermal characteristics of an oscillating heat pipe cooling system for electric vehicle li-ion batteries
publisher MDPI AG
series Energies
issn 1996-1073
publishDate 2018-03-01
description The heat generation of lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) leads to a degradation of energy capacity and lifetime. To solve this problem, a new cooling concept using an oscillating heat pipe (OHP) is proposed. In the present study, an OHP has been adopted for Li-ion battery cooling. Due to the limited space in EVs, the cooling channel is installed on the bottom of the battery module. In the bottom cooling method with an OHP, generated heat can be dissipated easily and conveniently. However, most studies on heat pipes have used bottom heating and top or side cooling methods, so we investigate the various effects of parameters with a top heating/bottom cooling mode with the OHP, i.e., the inclination angle of the system, amount of working fluid charged, the heating amount, and the cold plate temperature with ethanol as a working fluid. The experimental results show that the thermal resistance (0.6 °C/W) and uneven pulsating features influence the heat transfer performance. A heater used as a simulated battery was sustained under 60 °C under 10 W and 14 W heating conditions. This indicates that the proposed cooling system with the bottom cooling is feasible for use as an EV’s battery cooling system.
topic oscillating heat pipe (OHP)
Li-ion battery cooling
electric vehicles (EVs)
url http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/3/655
work_keys_str_mv AT riguangchi thermalcharacteristicsofanoscillatingheatpipecoolingsystemforelectricvehicleliionbatteries
AT wonsikchung thermalcharacteristicsofanoscillatingheatpipecoolingsystemforelectricvehicleliionbatteries
AT seokhorhi thermalcharacteristicsofanoscillatingheatpipecoolingsystemforelectricvehicleliionbatteries
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