Strategies for passive thermal management of lithium-ion batteries in microgravity: Combining PCMs, metal foams, fins, and nanoparticles

This study investigates the thermal management of lithium-ion batteries under zero-gravity conditions using various passive thermal management strategies. The primary focus is on enhancing heat dissipation by incorporating a phase change materials (PCM) layer on the external surface of the battery. To address the low thermal conductivity of PCMs, additional strategies such as the inclusion of fins, nanoparticles, and porous foam were systematically examined. Binary and ternary combinations of these methods were also analyzed to identify optimal configurations. The effects of key parameters, including PCM type (RT-44HC, RT-35, RT-27, HM-O30), fin characteristics (number: 3, 5, 7, 9, length: 4, 6, 8 mm, thickness: 1, 2, 3 mm, arrangement: uniform or non-uniform), fin material (aluminum, copper, steel), foam (porosity: 0.90, 0.94, 0.98, foam material: aluminum, copper, nickel), and C-rate (3C, 4C, 5C), were thoroughly investigated. Emphasis was placed on parameter selection to accommodate weightless conditions effectively. The results reveal that using PCM alone (in optimal selection, RT-27) can reduce the maximum battery temperature by approximately 62 K, compared to the baseline temperature of ∼370 K in bare conditions. Enhanced the system—combining PCM with fins, nanoparticles, or porous foam—achieved an additional reduction of 11–14 K under their optimal conditions. Considering the minimal impact of nanoparticle addition on system weight, a composite of PCM (RT-27) with 3% graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) is proposed as the optimal solution for weightless applications, effectively reducing the maximum temperature during high discharge rates (5C) by about 73 K.