Simulation and optimal design of using composite inorganic phase change materials for lithium-ion batteries thermal management

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.0476

Abstract

Abstract:

In the development of thermal management technologies for lithium-ion batteries, inorganic phase change materials (IPCM) have garnered increasing attention owing to their high thermal safety. However, conventional IPCM suffer from drawbacks such as melting leakage and poor thermal stability, which limit their applicability in complex battery systems. This study introduces a shape-stabilized composite inorganic phase change material (CIPCM), in which the IPCM is encapsulated at the microscale within a SiO₂ shell to improve thermal stability and supported at the macroscale by a copolymer flexible framework to maintain structural integrity. Furthermore, the CIPCM is incorporated into a COMSOL simulation model to determine the optimal parameter combination and evaluate the thermal management performance of multi-cell modules based on CIPCM. Using COMSOL, the thermal management performance of CIPCM applied to lithium-ion battery modules was simulated. The effects of various charge/discharge rates, CIPCM thickness, and ambient temperatures on battery temperature control and heat dissipation were systematically investigated. The results indicate that, compared with natural air convection, passive cooling by attaching CIPCM to battery surfaces significantly reduces peak surface temperatures and slows the temperature rise rate. Additionally, increasing the CIPCM thickness within a certain range reduces the maximum battery surface temperature. As the CIPCM thickness increased from 2 mm to 5 mm, the cooling performance improved markedly; however, when the thickness exceeded 5 mm, further increases led to diminishing cooling improvements. Moreover, the effectiveness of CIPCM decreases with rising ambient temperatures, highlighting the need to adjust CIPCM usage and design according to practical operating conditions. This study provides valuable design references and data support for IPCM-based thermal management strategies. It also overcomes the limitations of traditional experimental approaches and facilitates the application of CIPCM in large-scale battery modules.

Key words: lithium-ion batteries, inorganic phase change materials, battery thermal management system, parametric numerical simulation

CLC Number:

TM 911

Xinyi DAI, Depeng KONG, Ping PING. Simulation and optimal design of using composite inorganic phase change materials for lithium-ion batteries thermal management[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2025, 14(11): 4133-4141.

Figures/Tables 8

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参数	数值
密度/(g/cm³)	0.951±0.42
相变温度/℃	48.5±1.3
潜热/(kJ/kg)	88.87±2.2
导热率/[W/(m·K)]	0.216±0.004
比热容/[kJ/(kg⋅K)]	3.152±0.21

参数	数值
额定容量/Ah	3.2
实际容量/Ah	3.1±0.1
额定电压/V	3.6
最大放电电流/A	10
充电截止电压/V	4.2
放电截止电压/V	2.5
高度/mm	65
直径/mm	18