Experimental investigation on thermal management of electric vehicle battery with heat pipe

• Published in: Energy conversion and management Vol. 65; pp. 92 - 97
• Main Authors: Rao, Zhonghao, Wang, Shuangfeng, Wu, Maochun, Lin, Zirong, Li, Fuhuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cycle time; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; Electric batteries; Electric power generation; Electric vehicle; Electric vehicles; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Electrochemical conversion: primary and secondary batteries, fuel cells; Exact sciences and technology; Heat generation; Heat pipe; Heat pipes; Power battery; Temperature difference; Thermal management; Unsteady; Power battery; Temperature difference; Thermal management; Electric vehicle; Heat pipe; Battery; Heated pipe
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2012.08.014

The thermal management system of electric vehicle battery with heat pipes was designed. Temperature rise is a key factor for the design of power battery thermal management system. Temperature distribution is inevitable to reference for better design of heat pipes used for heat dissipation. Heat pipes are effective for power batteries thermal management within electric vehicles. In order to increase the cycle time of power batteries and decrease the overall cost of electric vehicles, the thermal management system equipped with heat pipes was designed according to the heat generated character of power batteries. The experimental result showed that the maximum temperature could be controlled below 50°C when the heat generation rate was lower than 50W. Coupled with the desired temperature difference, the heat generation rate should not exceed 30W. The maximum temperature and temperature difference are kept within desired rang under unsteady operating conditions and cycle testing conditions. Applying heat pipes based power batteries thermal management is an effective method for energy saving in electric vehicles.