Experimental study of the thermal management system for a lithium-ion battery using the heat pipe

One of the main problems in the commercial use of lithium-ion batteries for high energy consumption is the heat problems associated with these batteries. Since many batteries are used together in order to generate higher power, it is important to predict their thermal performance. In this study, a heat management system of a lithium-ion battery equipped with a heat pipe is investigated. For this purpose, a part of a battery pack consisting of two batteries and a heat pipe is selected and its performance is experimentally investigated. These tests are performed at various ambient temperatures through a made test chamber with the ability to accurately control temperature. The experimental results show that although with increasing ambient temperature, the battery surface temperature increases, but due to the decrease in thermal resistance of the heat pipe, the effect of this temperature rise can be moderated and work as an active method. In addition, using forced convection in the condenser section, not only can the battery surface temperature be controlled below 40 ˚C, but it also distributes the temperature uniformly over the battery surface. The use of the heat pipe also helps to maintain more stable temperature conditions with lower temperature fluctuations in consecutive battery cycles.