Comparative study of cooling strategies in a lithium-ion battery module for thermal runaway prevention using CFD

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Published: Mar 12, 2025
Updated: 2025-03-12
Versions:
2025-03-12 (4)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17163/ings.n33.2025.07
Keywords:
Thermal abuse, ANSYS, cooling, NTGK, thermal runaway

Main Article Content

Ricardo Carpio-Chillogallo
Universidad Nacional de Loja
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8019-1700
Edwin Paccha-Herrera
Universidad Nacional de Loja
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2142-4139

Abstract

This study investigates the thermal behavior of three lithium-ion battery configurations under thermal runaway conditions, focusing on cooling systems based on air, water, and phase change materials (PCM). The analysis was conducted using sixteen cylindrical 18650 cells, each with a capacity of 2.15 Ah. The battery arrangements include Geometry 1, characterized by an irregular rhomboid shape, and Geometry 2, which adopts an irregular octagonal shape. Numerical simulations were carried out using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools in ANSYS Fluent, employing a thermal abuse model rooted in a multidimensional, multiscale approach, and incorporating the empirical Newman-Tiedemann-Gauthier-Kim (NTGK) model. Transient simulations were performed under forced and natural convection scenarios to capture dynamic thermal behavior. The findings reveal that natural air cooling fails to prevent thermal runaway under the studied conditions. In contrast, water and PCM-based cooling systems effectively mitigate thermal runaway risks. Furthermore, forced convection with air and water significantly enhances thermal management and successfully prevents thermal runaway.

Article Details

Issue
No. 33 (2025): january-june
Section
Scientific Paper
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