NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF 18650 LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES USING HEXAGONAL BORON NITRIDE-FILLED EPOXY COMPOSITE UNDER VARYING AIRFLOW VELOCITIES

Abstract

18650 lithium-ion batteries require thermal management to prevent thermal runaway and ensure safe operation. This study uses computational fluid dynamics to compare the thermal performance of pure epoxy resin and a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)-doped epoxy composite in a battery module. Analyses have been conducted at an ambient temperature of 25°C and air inlet velocities of 2, 3, and 4 m/s. Temperature distributions, maximum temperatures, and outlet temperatures have been evaluated. The h-BN-doped epoxy reduced the maximum temperatures across all operating conditions due to its high thermal conductivity. At 2 m/s, the maximum temperature decreased from 48.08°C with pure epoxy to 38.8°C with the epoxy/h-BN composite. In the air-only control case, the predicted temperature exceeded 4600°C, indicating insufficient heat dissipation. Overall, the composite improved temperature uniformity and supported safer, more reliable battery operation.