BEV Cooling Breakthrough Claimed through Simulation

Paul Myles

TU-Editor

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8th January 2021

A battery management specialist has claimed a breakthrough in cooling processes during fast charging thanks to advanced simulation.

The UK’s D2H Advanced Technologies says it has worked with chemical company Croda, whose fluids were tested and validated as part of an immersive cooling system for the vehicle’s battery pack. D2H built a 32-cell battery test rig for the physical testing aspects that could evaluate the performance of immersive versus contemporary cold-plate cooling methods before the generation of a computational fluid design (CFD) model comparing studies that examined the cooling characteristics of various fluids.

The project’s first stage involved exploring the cause of excess noise during a battery fast-charge, identified as being caused by the high pump power required with the existing cooling system, needed to dissipate the required heat. CFD modelling then suggested benefits to using a Croda dielectric fluid, which was validated in physical tests against alternative fluids.

The second stage was to investigate the difference in performance between immersive and cold plate cooling systems, which used the same simulation correlation process. Correlation of simulated tests suggested that Croda’s fluids promoted more efficient heat transfer, with fewer hot spots and more stable characteristics, which are less likely to negatively impact battery performance.

Chris Hebert, D2H engineering director, said: “Battery performance is a critical aspect of inspiring further take-up of EVs and it is a technology that is still in its relative infancy. During development, all areas of battery performance must be considered, especially their behavior during high C-rate charging and discharging when in situ. The work with Croda in considering different types of chemical as a battery coolant has provided valuable insight that has not only helped to overcome an existing challenge but generated vital data that can streamline the development of new, more efficient EVs. Providing enhanced thermal management of the battery has the potential to offer further accelerated fast-charge times in the future.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_