Aanandsundar Arumugam, Bernardo Buonomo, Sergio Nardini, Oronzio Manca
ABSTRACT Effective thermal management in electric vehicle (EV) battery packs is critical due to heat generation during electrochemical processes and its implications for safety and performance. This study presents a three-dimensional thermal model of a cylindrical lithium-manganese oxide (Li-Mn 2 O 4 ) cell to analyze heat dissipation behavior under dynamic loading. Two advanced passive cooling strategies are examined using metal foam heat sinks with differing thermal performance. The first case embeds phase change material (PCM RT25HC) within high-porosity metal foam, while the second employs metal foam structures exposed to convective cooling air. The impact of these materials on transient heat transfer is analyzed under two discharge rates: 0.5C and 1C respectively. Internal resistance variation with depth of discharge is modeled using a dynamic Internal Resistance model, which directly affects heat generation rate, defined by Joule heating. Boundary conditions assume adiabatic external surfaces, while convective heat transfer is applied through embedded channels simulating hybrid cooling. A finite volume analysis approach in Ansys Fluent is used to resolve conjugate heat transfer between battery surfaces, PCM, and porous media. Performance is evaluated by comparing the evolution of maximum and mean cell surface temperatures. Results highlight that PCM integration with porous metallic medium effectively reduces thermal gradients and delays temperature rise under high C-rate discharge, making it an effective strategy for passive battery thermal regulation.