Numerical Study on Heat Transfer Characteristics of Different Fin Configurations inside a Battery Pack Module Cover Using Polymer Composite Material

In this study, the natural convection heat transfer characteristics within a battery pack module equipped with rectangular fins were investigated through numerical simulations. Two complementary parametric studies were performed: (i) at a fixed fin count, fin thickness and height were varied to isolate shape driven effects on flow and heat transfer; and (ii) at a fixed fin shape, the fin count was varied to examine array density effects. For both studies, the local heat transfer coefficient distributions, the area averaged coefficient on the upper cover inner surface, and the net heat absorbed by the upper cover are compared. As a result, installing the fins increases the flow velocity between the battery cells and the bottom of the upper cover and induced recirculating flows around the fin structures, which together enhance the natural convection heat transfer performance of the upper cover.