Investigation of Hybrid Battery Thermal Management Systems Utilising Metal Foam, Phase Change Material, and Liquid Cooling

Keyhani Asl, Alireza

Investigation of Hybrid Battery Thermal Management Systems Utilising Metal Foam, Phase Change Material, and Liquid Cooling

Keyhani Asl, Alireza (2026) Investigation of Hybrid Battery Thermal Management Systems Utilising Metal Foam, Phase Change Material, and Liquid Cooling. Doctoral thesis, Birmingham City University.

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Abstract

Effective thermal management is critical for ensuring the safety, efficiency, and longevity of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), particularly under high C-rate operation. This thesis presents the development and investigation of a novel Hybrid Battery Thermal Management System (HBTMS) that integrates phase change material (PCM), copper metal foam (in the form of porous fins and layers), and liquid cooling to overcome the limitations of conventional thermal management approaches. The system aims to enhance thermal regulation, energy density, and long-term performance stability under dynamic cycling conditions.

A validated numerical framework was developed using ANSYS Fluent to simulate transient heat generation in cylindrical LIBs, incorporating a lumped-capacitance thermal model. The enthalpy–porosity method was used to model the phase change behaviour of the PCM, while fluid flow through the copper foam was simulated using the Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer (DBF) model. Local Thermal Equilibrium (LTE) and Local Thermal Non-Equilibrium (LTNE) models were applied to represent heat transfer within the copper foam fins and copper foam layers, respectively. Multi-objective optimisation was conducted using the Taguchi Design of Experiments (DOE) and ANOVA to identify dominant design and operational parameters.

The results demonstrate that the proposed HBTMS effectively reduced maximum surface temperature (TMax,Sur) by up to 9.2 K compared to pure PCM, while maintaining ΔTMax below 5 K. The system showed up to 97% reduction in PCM liquid fraction and enabled full latent heat recovery across repeated discharge–rest–charge cycles. Energy density improved by up to 25% due to lightweight copper foam structures. Parametric studies identified ambient and coolant temperatures, flow rate, and number of cooling plates as the most influential factors. The optimised configuration provided high thermal performance with enhanced energy density and improved repeatability across cyclic conditions. Overall, this research contributes a robust and scalable hybrid cooling solution for high-performance battery systems, offering enhanced safety, durability, and energy efficiency suitable for electric vehicle and energy storage applications.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Dates:	Date Event 8 May 2026 Accepted
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Hybrid Battery Thermal Management System; Energy Density; Lithium-ion Battery; Phase Change Material; Copper foam; Cooling Plates
Subjects:	CAH10 - engineering and technology > CAH10-01 - engineering > CAH10-01-08 - electrical and electronic engineering CAH10 - engineering and technology > CAH10-01 - engineering > CAH10-01-09 - chemical, process and energy engineering
Divisions:	Architecture, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering > Engineering Doctoral Research College > Doctoral Theses Collection
Depositing User:	Louise Muldowney
Date Deposited:	18 May 2026 11:37
Last Modified:	18 May 2026 11:41
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/17058