Page 92 - Read Online

Page 16 of 27 Wang et al. Soft Sci 2024;4:32 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/ss.2024.15

Jiang et al. investigated the thermal performance of TEC (TEC1-12710, dimension is 50 mm × 50 mm
× 3.3 mm, the refrigerator power is 94.2 W and the maximum current is 10 A) in cylindrical battery module
[78]
thermal management . The experimental setup involved a 3 × 5 array of 18,650 test batteries embedded in
foam copper infused with organic PCM to enhance heat transfer [Figure 8C]. In experimental testing, this
arrangement aimed to evaluate and compare the transient and steady-state thermal performance of TECs
with natural convection and liquid cooling methods, providing insights into the efficiency of TECs in
regulating battery temperatures. The optimal current obtained in experiments, considering the highest
[78]
cooling power and lowest battery temperature, was approximately 6.0 to 6.5 A . Further analysis revealed
that the thermal resistance on the hot side had a greater impact on the optimal current compared to that on
the cold side. Additionally, the study found that enhancing the number of thermoelectric arms by
narrowing the spacing between them effectively improved the COP of the TEC module.

Liu et al. elucidated the implementation strategy of a hybrid active-passive BTMS utilizing heat sinks to
optimize the integration of TECs (L × W × H is 44 mm × 44 mm × 3.7 mm, the refrigerator power is 50 W,
and the maximum current is 6.4 A) and PCMs [Figure 8D] . The cold side of the TEC generates cooling to
[39]
the PCM, slowing its melting process and thereby prolonging the temperature control period. Heat sinks
play a crucial role in transferring the accumulated heat from the PCM to the cold side of the TEC, enabling
effective cooling of the batteries in high-temperature environments. Numerical simulations were performed
to evaluate the influence of different heat sink thicknesses (ranging from 2 to 8 mm) and different TEC
input currents (1-6 A) on thermal management performance. The results revealed that increasing the heat
sink thickness from 2 to 8 mm extended the temperature control duration by 12%, but also raised the
temperature difference by 13.7%. As the current increased from 1 A to 6 A, the temperature control
duration improved by 87.42%, though this came at the cost of a greater temperature difference and a
reduction in COP. Considering factors such as temperature control duration, temperature difference, and
COP, it was found that the BTMS model constructed with a 4 mm thick heat sink and a 3 A TEC input
current exhibited optimal performance.

BTMS based on TEC and heat-pipe cooling
Thermal pipes are widely utilized in the energy industry for their exceptional heat transfer efficiency,
attributed to their high thermal conductivity and low thermal resistance. They find extensive applications in
aerospace, defense, microelectronics cooling, construction materials, metallurgy, solar energy, and other
fields [79,80] . Due to their adaptable design, thermal pipes can efficiently remove a large amount of heat from
within battery packs, maintaining batteries within the desired operating temperature range. They can
substantially minimize temperature differentials within the battery pack. Research has shown that BTMSs
incorporating thermal pipes can significantly lower the peak temperature rise in battery packs and
temperature differentials between batteries. Yuan et al. utilized thermal pipes as the primary heat transfer
component in a BTMS, supplemented with heat collectors and radiators, to analyze the factors influencing
battery pack temperature and the related mechanisms . The results demonstrated that the BTMS utilizing
[81]
thermal pipes effectively suppressed battery temperature increases. Smith et al. proposed a high-power
BTMS based on thermal pipes, which exhibited superior temperature uniformity and enhanced system
safety compared to traditional liquid cooling systems . Gan investigated a thermal pipe-based BTMS for
[82]
cylindrical battery modules and found that, compared to natural air-cooled BTMS, the battery temperature
could be significantly lowered by 287 K at a discharge rate of 5C .
[83]
Sun et al. devised a scheme integrating gravity-assisted heat pipes (GAHP) with a TEC (TEC-12708,
L × W × H is 40 mm × 40 mm × 5.4 mm, the refrigerator power is 81 W, and the maximum current is 8.5 A)
system for electronic device cooling [Figure 9A] . Heat sinks were mounted on the cold side to enhance
[79]
the absorption from the thermoelectric plates. A flat and smooth evaporative surface was utilized in the