Modelling and optimization of a thermal management and barrier integration structure by coupling CFD and reduced-order thermal resistance network

Abstract

The thermal management performance and thermal runaway propagation (TRP) characteristics of lithium-ion battery systems are critical factors for assessing battery safety. This study proposes a novel thermal management and barrier integration structure (TMBIS), integrating phase-change materials (PCM) and flame-retardant (FR) insulation materials, to simultaneously achieve effective thermal management and mitigate TRP within lithium-ion battery modules. By coupling a reduced order lumped thermal resistance network (TRN) model with a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, a multi-scale simulation approach was employed to investigate the dynamics of TRP and elucidate the protective mechanism and optimize parameters of the proposed structure. The results indicated that, with PCM-to-FR thickness and thermal conductivity ratios of 0.8 and 0.5, respectively, the maximum temperature of the battery module was reduced from 324 K to 319 K and significantly extending TR propagation intervals (Δt12: 12.9 s → 81.7 s; Δt23: 12.4 s → 69.5 s), compared to scenarios without protective measures. Furthermore, the optimal number and configuration strategies of TMBIS were explored under different battery energy density scenarios, providing crucial guidelines for safety-oriented lithium-ion battery system design. The proposed TMBIS has significant potential for broad applications and substantial engineering value in future high-energy–density battery systems.