How to Simulate and Analyze a Cooling System for an Electrical Vehicle Battery Package

摘要

This article describes how to use advanced ID and 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation techniques to analyze and enhance thermal management configurations while designing electrical-vehicle battery cooling packs. In this step-through, we'll look at the cooling system for an electrical vehicle's battery pack, slightly less complex system than a hybrid. We'll model a liquid- cooled system that includes the battery pack, preheater, pump, and coolant reservoir. The battery consists of a single pack of large cells divided into six rows with eight cells in each row. For reference, this size is comparable to a medium-size battery system currently used in electrical vehicles. The coolant flow can be either directly around the cells, with cold plates between them, or even around the other end of some heat pipes arranged between two battery cells. With this type of analysis, various design possibilities can be looked at; flexibility is needed because the design has to be optimized for pressure loss and thermal management. For analyzing down to the component level, 3D CFD allows study of detailed flow and thermal behavior to ensure adequate performance of the battery cooling pack. Any unacceptable operation such as misguided flow patterns or extreme thermal gradients can be identified early in the design process. Later in the design process when the performance of the entire battery cooling system is the main concern, 3D CFD helps to create a more accurate ID system simulation, ensuring proper system performance.