Reducing Lithium-Ion Battery Temperature in Electric Vehicles with Vortex Generators: A CFD Approach

Due to climate change and current air pollution levels, regulations have been established to address gas emissions and air pollution produced by the transport industry. Electric vehicles have emerged as a popular solution to these issues, thereby increasing their acceptance. Consequently, the demand for lithium-ion batteries is growing, particularly in electric vehicles. A key challenge with lithium-ion batteries is maintaining their operating temperature within the optimal range of 20-45°C. This project aims to minimise the operating temperature of these batteries by using appropriate cooling techniques. The novel cooling method this study uses involves passive cooling through a vortex generator (VG) installed at the inlet of the battery pack. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis will be conducted to achieve this objective. The results show that the battery pack’s maximum temperature can be reduced by almost 33% at a Reynolds number (Re) of 23226. In conclusion, installing VGs in the battery pack significantly increases battery life and ensures optimal performance compared to packs without VGs.