Numerical Study on Thermal Management of Electric Vehicle Battery Cooling Modules Using Al2O3 Nanofluids

The battery cooling system of electric vehicles (EV) is one of its most important systems.A proper cooling system has a major effect on energy storage, durability, life cycle and efficiency.As a result, the selection of an effective cooling mechanism for an EV battery module is critical to maintain the temperature within the proper range.A numerical study of a serpentine tube used in EV battery cooling system is carried out.Two arrangements of the serpentine tube are proposed in addition to the conventional one to evaluate its performance.Aluminum oxide nanoparticles suspended in water and ethylene glycol as coolant were investigated at volume concentrations of 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%.The results indicated that the serpentine tube arrangements improved the temperature distribution and reduced the pressure drop.The incorporation of nanoparticles also decreased the maximum temperature of the system by modifying the thermophysical properties, although this caused an increase in pressure drop due to the higher viscosity of the fluid.It is concluded that the arrangement of the serpentine tube and the use of nanofluids influences the thermal and hydraulic performance and presents an alternative to optimize this type of thermal systems.