Machine Learning Predictive Algorithm for Temperature-Sensing Electric Vehicle Battery Enclosure

Abstract Electric vehicles (EVs) are a favorable tactic for reducing carbon emissions. However, the most used power source in EVs, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), can pose a significant safety risk in the form of thermal runaway. This is a rapid failure mode that may lead to fires and explosions. To address this issue, the authors' previous work developed a temperature-sensing composite battery enclosure with embedded temperature microsensors to provide the LIB condition monitoring. The prior work produced extensive experimental and simulation results, characterizing an enclosure-embedded battery management system. It was found that the top composite layer causes a time lag in the temperature detection, impeding an early warning signal. This current study aims to create a regression model leveraging machine learning (ML) strategies to predict battery enclosure interior surface temperatures when trained on the prior study's data. The temperature inference model predicts the enclosure's surface temperatures using embedded temperature measurements in real-time, compensating for the time lag. Random forest and recurrent neural network ML models are compared, considering performance and computational costs. Mean absolute error and mean absolute percentage error are utilized to quantify the prediction accuracy. The temperature inference model enhances the practicality of a temperature-sensing composite battery enclosure as a battery management system, mitigating risks associated with LIB thermal runaway events. By monitoring embedded temperature changes and predicting the temperatures on the interior surface of the enclosure, the system provides insights into potential hazards, enabling timely interventions and ensuring EV safety.