Research Projects

The demand for electric vehicles is increasing in the public transportation sector because of their lower maintenance and running costs as well as zero CO2 emissions. The success of electric vehicles holds the potential to transform the energy landscape, reduce dependency on imported petroleum, and contribute to a secure, sustainable and resilient energy future for the nation. In EVs, the battery is the heart of the system that runs the vehicle and is the most expensive part of an EV. Li-ion batteries are widely used in EVs due to their high power and energy density, long life and low self-discharge rate. These batteries' performance is susceptible to thermal conditions; the temperature is required to be maintained uniform (the maximum temperature difference should not exceed 5 ˚C) and between 20˚C-40˚C for optimum performance. That is why designing a battery thermal management system is very crucial for EV performance. Much research is going into developing a compact, economical and energy-efficient BTMS. The primary function of a BTMS is to keep the battery cells and packs within a safe temperature range while maintaining uniform temperature distribution during charging, high-rate discharging, and under extreme environmental conditions. Failure to do so can lead to reduced battery life and, in severe cases, thermal runaway. This proposal introduces an innovative air-cooled BTMS design that utilises pulsating impinging jet technology, offering a higher cooling rate and better temperature uniformity—performance that conventional air-cooling systems struggle to achieve. The airflow of the pulsating jet varies periodically due to the fluid's suction and deflection when the actuator's diaphragm expands and contracts. This periodic behaviour interrupts the development of the thermal boundary layer, thereby enhancing the heat transfer rate from the surface. Employing piezoelectric actuators to induce pulsating jets offers a promising approach to further augment heat transfer. These actuators are advantageous due to their compact size and low power consumption. The pulsating jet array will be strategically positioned at the bottom of the battery pack, directing airflow from bottom to top. This configuration minimizes the flow path length and promotes uniform cooling across the battery cells. The second aim of the proposal is to develop a 3-D numerical model by using ANSYS Fluent software to study the thermal behavior of Pulsating jet BTMS at non-uniform C rates to replicate the real on-road conditions, for effective BTMS design.