Electro-thermal analysis and integration issues of lithium ion battery for electric vehicles

Electrical and thermal characteristics of lithium-ion battery packs in electric vehicles in different operating conditions are important in order to design the battery pack thermal management system. In this work, electrical and thermal behaviors of different size of LiFePO4 cylindrical cells are investigated under various operating conditions. The simulation results show good agreement with the experimental data under various operating modes. Due to the large thermal resistance of layered active material in a Li-ion cell, the temperature difference in the radial direction is significantly correlated with a diameter of cell and It-rates. Compared with natural convection, strong forced convection will reduce the temperature uniformity in the cell and accelerate the thermal aging rate. Lastly, integration issues of the cells into a battery pack are discussed from mechanical, electrical, thermal, control and monitoring, manufacturing and maintenance aspects. These issues could impact the performance, cost, driving range and life cycle of the battery pack in electric vehicles.