Session: 09-05-01: Sustainable Energy Systems for Heating and Cooling I

Paper Number: 166349

A Battery Stacking System for Effective Thermal Management Using Finned Heat Pipe 

The growth in the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has marked the demand for efficient thermal management systems in lithium-ion battery packs to prevent thermal runaway. Effective thermal control is crucial to preventing thermal runaway which is a hazardous phenomenon that compromises battery safety, performance, and longevity. Lithium-ion batteries require precise thermal regulation during operation, with recommended maximum temperatures of 45°C during charging and 60°C during discharging. Exceeding these limits can compromise battery safety, performance, and lifespan. Thermal runaway that occurs in one cell might lead to explosion of the total battery stack due to the cascading effect. In response to these challenges, this study presents an innovative battery stacking system that integrates a finned heat pipe mechanism to enhance heat dissipation and mitigate the cascading thermal runaway effect in battery modules. The proposed system utilizes a combination of heat pipes and curved fins to optimize heat management and containment of the cascading effect. The heat pipe, known for its superior thermal conductivity, efficiently transfers excess heat away from battery cells, thereby maintaining a stable temperature distribution. In the designed configuration, curved fins function as thermal barriers, reducing lateral heat transfer and limiting the propagation of excessive thermal energy throughout the battery pack. This strategic integration of heat pipe and fin technology helps to sustain surface temperatures within the recommended operational limits, thus preventing thermal runaway and enhancing overall system reliability. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed thermal management system, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted to analyse heat flux distribution and temperature variations. The results indicate that the heat pipe mechanism accommodates a maximum heat flux of 3.4115 W/mm² at an initial temperature of 80°C, ensuring rapid heat dissipation. Additionally, the use of copper interfaces in the system plays a critical role in reducing surface temperature, which stabilizes at approximately 44.435°C. This significant reduction in surface temperature enhances heat absorption and diffusion, further contributing to battery safety and operational efficiency. A key observation from the simulation study is the effectiveness of the heat pipe system in regulating temperature within a honeycomb battery pack structure. The bottom temperature, initially measured at 120°C, steadily decreases to 80°C due to the efficient heat transfer facilitated by the integrated heat pipe mechanism. Moreover, the incorporation of curved fins contributes to thermal containment by acting as a buffer against lateral heat dissipation, thus reducing the possibility of explosive thermal propagation across battery cells. This structural enhancement plays a crucial role in maintaining thermal equilibrium within the battery module, significantly improving safety margins and operational stability. Furthermore, the high average heat flux of 0.30338 W/mm² underscores the thermal management systems capability to provide effective cooling while keeping lithium-ion batteries within their optimal thermal constraints. By efficiently dissipating heat and preventing excessive temperature build-up, the proposed system contributes to extending battery lifespan, enhancing performance, and ensuring safer operation in EV applications. The findings of this study mark a significant advancement in next-generation thermal management strategies for EV battery systems with increasing operational efficiency, and enhancing user protection and safety. This novel technique holds great potential for application in future EV battery pack designs, which improves safety with more durable, and high-performance energy storage solutions in electric mobility.

Keywords: Electric Vehicles; Battery Stacking System; Heat Pipe; Curved Fins; Thermal runaway; Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations.

Presenting Author: Lvrsv Prasad Chilamkurti GMR Institute of Technology

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Prasad began his academic career way back in 1986 and moved to GMR Institute of Technology in 2005 as Dean-Academic Affairs and later became its Principal in 2008. Obtained Master’s degree(M.Tech) from NIT-Warangal and received Ph.D degree from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. In his early career, served SVH college of Engineering Machilipatnam and Sir C R Reddy College of Engineering, Eluru for over fifteen years as a professor & head of Mechanical Engineering department. Played a pivotal role in developing the institution systems and facilities, creating SoPs for quality assurance and statutory compliances and also served as the Principal in-charge subsequently.

At GMRIT from 2005 onwards, spearheaded and responsible for the overall strategic development and growth of the institution in multiple facets. He initiated and established technology enabled teaching and learning environment supplementing the classroom learning, which finally resulted in creating repository and providing access to the digital learning content for more than 300 courses session wise on campus LAN.

He spearheaded all the Internal Quality Assurance initiatives leading to Accreditation of all the Programs by NBA from 2007 onwards. After getting Autonomous status in 2012 initiated the implementation of Outcome Based Education and responsible for getting all the UG programs NBA accredited under Tier-1 (3rd cycle) for Six years. Achieved NAAC accreditation with ‘A’ grade for the three consecutive cycles since 2010.

He published research articles in several reputed National and International Conferences and Journals. As a Principal investigator, executed DST funded research projects worth Rs 1.75 Cr and supervised three research scholars leading to the award of Ph.D degree apart from supervising many PG students for their M. Tech projects.

He visited countries like Scotland, Canada, USA and Italy to understand higher education systems in various universities apart from presenting the research papers at various international conferences(ASME/CIRP) held there.

He is an UGC expert committee member to evaluate the institutions for the award of Autonomous status. In the year 2016, Govt. of AP has nominated him as a member for the Executive Council of JNTUK- Kakinada, for the term 2016-19. A P state council for higher education (APSCHE) has nominated him as a member of Admission Committee, AP PGECET for the period 2018-19. In the year 2021 he has been nominating as an advisory board member for APSCHE-Quality Assurance Cell for three years term. He is also the member of Academic Council of the Autonomous Private Engg colleges viz. LENDI & NSIRT, Visakhapatnam affiliated to JNTUK Kakinada.

Authors:

Lvrsv Prasad Chilamkurti GMR Institute of Technology
Ravindranadh Koutavarapu GMR Institute of Technology
Upendra Kumar P GMR Institute of Technology