A new method for verifying energy losses in battery cells

Daniel Poposki, industrial Ph.D. student from Volvo Group Trucks Technology at the division of Electric Power Engineering, is one of several speakers from the Department of Electrical Engineering who will participate in EVS38, the largest international conference on electric vehicles and sustainable transport, which will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden, June 15–18.

Daniel is taking part in the scientific program during the conference and, in connection with this, has an ongoing publication that he co-authored with Andrew Mandeya from Volvo Group and Istaq Ahmed and Torbjörn Thiringer from Chalmers.

The researchers have gained new insights into heat generation in battery cells by measuring minimal heat losses with high sensitivity.

"By using a so-called isothermal calorimeter, we have been able to quantify heat flows from the battery down to 6 mW. This method makes it possible to study the battery's entropic profile in greater detail, which is important both when designing the thermal management system around the battery and when modeling the performance of the battery."

The research is relevant for battery studies and for applications, such as those used in electric vehicles.

"This knowledge will be particularly important for understanding how the battery's thermal behavior affects performance, lifespan and safety," says Daniel.

The unique thing about this measurement method is the high sensitivity and that it enables analysis of very small heat flows. It can therefore contribute to increased accuracy in battery modeling and in the design of thermal control systems.

"Now we aim to further develop the method and use it to characterize battery cells in our ongoing battery research at the department. In the longer term, we hope that the results can contribute to the development of energy-efficient and safe battery systems through improved thermal models and cooling systems. Something that benefits the electric transport system of the future," Daniel says.

More information:
Loss verification of Li-ion battery cell from thermal flow measurements. research.chalmers.se/en/publication/546539

Provided by Chalmers University of Technology