Termisk hantering av litium-jon- batterier i elektriska drivsystem

Sammanfattning: The automotive market is currently undergoing a historical change where stricter emission legislations and ever increasing fuel costs have intensified the search for effective alternatives to the conventional internal combustion engine, which has resulted in a substantial trend towards electrification of powertrains. Storage of electrical energy is the fundamental component in this technology where the lithium-ion batteries are currently considered as the most appropriate solution. Lithium-ion batteries, however, as other types of batteries, can only be used efficiently and durably within a specific temperature range.This Master thesis has been carried out in collaboration with Electroengine in Sweden AB, situated in Uppsala, which has an ongoing project regarding development of a modular battery system for electric powertrains. The project is at a stage where an initial prototype has been developed which provides the foundation for this thesis. The study has addressed the battery system performance from a thermal perspective, in order to validate the ability of the system to create a thermally serviceable environment for the lithium-ion battery cells. The work has therefore been focused on verifying whether the existing structure provides sufficient heating and cooling functions. Based on the validation review, the current prototype's performance is presented and suggestions for improvements are submitted.Knowledge in the relevant area has been acquired through an extensive pre study concerning competing temperature management systems, basic thermodynamics, potential pathways for heat transfer and temperature-related characteristics for battery cells. Further, testing was conducted to obtain cell-generated heat power at varying load, state of charge and temperature. Henceforth the test data was used for the creation of simulation models in (COMSOL, 2012) and numerical analysis in (MATLAB, 2011) regarding the battery system's thermal behavior for various operating conditions in order to verify the system's temperature-regulating sustainability and to design the required cooling and heating functions.The conclusion of the study indicates that the existing design possesses acceptable dimensioning of cooling and heating properties. For further development of the battery system's temperature regulatory functions, a number of system improvement measures are necessary. Prioritized improvements are adaptive cooling which is only activated when needed, and cooling through the connecting plates of the battery cells. Implementation of improvement measures will result in an extended lifespan of the battery cells, and higher overall efficiency of the battery system.