• Energy Research

Covid-19 has given one positive perspective to look at our planet earth in terms of reducing the air and noise pollution thus improving the environmental conditions globally. This positive outcome of pandemic has given the indication that the future of energy belong to green energy and one of the emerging source of green energy is Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). LIBs are the backbone of the electric vehicles but there are some major issues faced by the them like poor thermal performance, thermal runaway, fire hazards and faster rate of discharge under low and high temperature environment,. Therefore to overcome these problems most of the researchers have come up with new methods of controlling and maintaining the overall thermal performance of the LIBs. The present review paper mainly is focused on optimization of thermal and structural design parameters of the LIBs under different BTMSs. The optimized BTMS generally demonstrated in this paper are maximum temperature of battery cell, battery pack or battery module, temperature uniformity, maximum or average temperature difference, inlet temperature of coolant, flow velocity, and pressure drop. Whereas the major structural design optimization parameters highlighted in this paper are type of flow channel, number of channels, length of channel, diameter of channel, cell to cell spacing, inlet and outlet plenum angle and arrangement of channels. These optimized parameters investigated under different BTMS heads such as air, PCM (phase change material), mini-channel, heat pipe, and water cooling are reported profoundly in this review article. The data are categorized and the results of the recent studies are summarized for each method. Critical review on use of various optimization algorithms (like ant colony, genetic, particle swarm, response surface, NSGA-II, etc.) for design parameter optimization are presented and categorized for different BTMS to boost their objectives. The single objective optimization techniques helps in obtaining the optimal value of important design parameters related to the thermal performance of battery cooling systems. Finally, multi-objective optimization technique is also discussed to get an idea of how to get the trade-off between the various conflicting parameters of interest such as energy, cost, pressure drop, size, arrangement, etc. which is related to minimization and thermal efficiency/performance of the battery system related to maximization. This review will be very helpful for researchers working with an objective of improving the thermal performance and life span of the LIBs.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) are clean energy transportation options emerged over traditional internal combustion engine. Li-ion batteries are a viable option for EVs and HEVs due to their advantages of high energy density. At high battery discharging condition, there is a significant increase in battery temperature and non-uniform cell temperature. The cooling performance of battery module at constant current discharge rate about 6.94 C (25 A) have presented. The two side wall of the battery module kept fully open for inflow and outflow of cooling media and better heat dissipation. Larger inter-cell spacing was considered to provide sufficient circulation of cooling air and removal of gases generated by the batteries. The heat generation in the battery cell during discharge process has simulated with the help of user-defined function (UDF). The paper gives insight into a three-dimensional transient thermal response, flow field and thermal regimes developed in the battery module. Different air temperature profiles are confirmed in the flow direction and across the width and depth of the battery pack. At specific zones, the air temperature rises to 7 °C thus indicating the localized heat spots. In the considered BTMS, maximum cell-to-cell temperature non-uniformity is restricted to 0.11 °C and battery temperature is lesser than 28 °C despite the high discharge rate and lower cooling air flow condition. Keywords: Battery thermal management system (BTMS), Li-ion Battery module, Battery temperature, Heat generation, Transient three-dimensional CFD study

AbstractIn order to fulfill consumer demand, energy storage may provide flexible electricity generation and delivery. By 2030, the amount of energy storage needed will quadruple what it is today, necessitating the use of very specialized equipment and systems. Energy storage is a technology that stores energy for use in power generation, heating, and cooling applications at a later time using various methods and storage mediums. Through the storage of excess energy and subsequent usage when needed, energy storage technologies can assist in maintaining a balance between generation and demand. Energy storage technologies are anticipated to play a significant role in electricity generation in future grids, working in conjunction with distributed generation resources. The use of renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, marine, geothermal, and biomass, is expanding quickly across the globe. The primary methods of storing energy include hydro, mechanical, electrochemical, and magnetic systems. Thermal energy storage, electric energy storage, pumped hydroelectric storage, biological energy storage, compressed air system, super electrical magnetic energy storage, and photonic energy conversion systems are the main topics of this study, which also examines various energy storage materials and their methodologies. In the present work, the concepts of various energy storage techniques and the computation of storage capacities are discussed. Energy storage materials are essential for the utilization of renewable energy sources and play a major part in the economical, clean, and adaptable usage of energy. As a result, a broad variety of materials are used in energy storage, and they have been the focus of intense research and development as well as industrialization. This review article discusses the recent developments in energy storage techniques such as thermal, mechanical, electrical, biological, and chemical energy storage in terms of their utilization. The focus of the study has an emphasis on the solar-energy storage system, which is future of the energy technology. It has been found that with the current storage technology, the efficiency of the various solar collectors was found to be increased by 37% compared with conventional solar thermal collectors. This work will guide the researchers in making their decisions while considering the qualities, benefits, restrictions, costs, and environmental factors. As a result, the findings of this review study may be very beneficial to many different energy sector stakeholders.

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Abstract In a conventional system, the cells of the entire battery pack are sandwiched in a single phase change material (PCM). The PCM material confining the corner cells may reject heat at a faster rate to the adjoining ambient air as compared to the cells located in the middle of the pack. In this work, the conventional battery layout system is modified to induce active and passive cooling for each cell of a battery module. For this, battery pack is arranged into several modules; each module comprised of six cylindrical cells in a 1S6P arrangement. Each cell is placed in a 4 mm cylindrical gap enclosure filled with phase change material and interconnected together for further cooling at inter-spacings. Cooling performance of such modified layout is reported at different discharge rates (2C and 4C) and ambient condition (27 °C, 35 °C and 40 °C). It is found that confined phase change material around each cell help in better heat dissipation from PCM and improved temperature uniformity in the module.

It is crucial to produce potable water from salt water in arid places using a stepped solar still desalination process. This work presents the temperature distribution and phase transformation of lauric acid PCM in inclined stepped solar still desalination system. A second-order finite volume method is employed for discretizing the two-dimensional geometry, while energy, continuity, and momentum equations are solved and then coupled using the second-order PRESTO algorithm. The solidification and melting CFD models have been used to capture the melting stages of lauric acid PCM. Four steps with an inclination of 30° to ground and two different cases with saline water levels of 10 mm and 40 mm have been reported. The results reveal that the temperature and mass fraction of lauric acid PCM strongly depends on the saline water level at each step, the number of steps, the angle of inclination, and the location of the solar still step. The maximum percentage increase in PCM melting fraction is 50%, and a PCM temperature rise of 4 °C is observed in the case of SWL-max compared to SWL-min. The total enthalpy of lauric acid PCM is increased by 30% for the SWL-max water level compared to the SWL-min water level.