Experimental Study of Lithium-ion Battery Thermal Behaviour for Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles

An experimental study of lithium-ion battery thermal behaviour for automotive applications is presented. Experiments are conducted for a pack of three battery cells which encounter a series of different discharge and cooling conditions. Results show the different temperature distribution on different locations of the battery cell surface with the highest temperature increase near the positive and negative electrode. The temperature increases sharply if the state of charge (SOC) is too small (less then 20%). Higher discharge rate contributes to higher temperature increase and bigger maximum and minimum temperature difference. Higher cooling air velocity helps to decrease the overall temperature and create better cell surface temperature distribution. Battery utilisation under real vehicle driving conditions is simulated using NEDC and Artemis rural driving cycle with different cooling strategies. Various information collected throughout this project are important in understanding the battery thermal behaviour and help in the design of better cooling systems and strategies for a better used of lithium-ion batteries in automotive applications.