Large scale immersion bath for isothermal testing of lithium-ion cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemical Engineering
• Thermal Management Systems

Background:

• Accurate temperature control is crucial for reliable lithium-ion battery testing and model validation.
• Existing commercial immersion baths are expensive and often too small for large battery cells.
• Forced air and conduction cooling methods have limitations in effectiveness and scalability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an affordable and effective immersion cooling system for testing multiple large lithium-ion pouch cells.
• To provide a cost-effective alternative to existing commercial battery testing thermal management solutions.
• To enable reliable data acquisition for battery model parameterization and validation.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a custom immersion cooling bath using a heater, chilling unit, and pumps.
• Utilizing 150L of base oil as the cooling fluid for eight large lithium-ion pouch cells (300 mm × 350 mm).
• Integration of temperature monitoring to maintain set points within ±0.5 °C.

Main Results:

• The developed immersion bath costs £1670, significantly less than commercial alternatives.
• The system can house eight large lithium-ion pouch cells simultaneously.
• Maintained temperature stability within 0.5 °C in the operational range of 5-55 °C, validated between 25-45 °C.

Conclusions:

• The developed immersion cooling bath offers a cost-effective and efficient solution for thermal management during lithium-ion battery testing.
• This method provides reliable temperature control, essential for generating high-quality experimental data for battery modeling.
• The system's scalability and affordability make it suitable for various battery research and development applications.