Evaluation of Automotive Battery Modules Using a Coupled Numerical Model With Hybrid Passive–Active Thermal Management

Abstract

The increasing deployment of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) in electric vehicles (EVs) demands robust thermal management to ensure safety and performance, particularly, under high‐current discharge and dynamic load conditions. The present study evaluated a battery pack at the system level, using both detailed finite‐volume simulation and system‐level dynamic modeling for an LFP battery module. Initially, a 3D thermal model was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of phase change material (PCM)‐based passive battery thermal management systems (BTMS). Under 5C discharge, the 4S1P module's peak temperature dropped from 72°C to 44.8°C through progressive integration of varying PCM layer thickness from 2 to 8 mm, enhancing the varied convective heat transfer coefficient, and ultimately incorporating metal foam within the PCM matrix. To evaluate the system under real‐world EV operating conditions, a Simulink model was developed using an identical module configuration and thermal parameters, incorporating a liquid cooling strategy using water as the coolant, enabling effective heat extraction across both FTP‐75 and UDDS drive cycles at varying ambient temperatures from 25°C to 40°C and different Reynolds numbers (Re). Under the stringent FTP‐75 drive cycle at 40°C ambient, the model demonstrated robust thermal performance, with Re = 3000 resulting in a peak temperature of 42°C, while increasing coolant flow at Re = 10 000 reduced it to 38.5°C. In comparison, the milder UDDS cycle yielded a peak of 41.8°C at Re = 3000 and 39.3°C at Re = 10 000. The present study demonstrates battery pack‐to‐system thermal synergy and provides a validated framework for efficient BTMS design in EVs.