IESA Tech Tour to Mac-Dermid Battery Thermal Management Lab

The battery temperature has a strong effect on charging and discharging rate of the battery. This makes the thermal management of an EV battery pack extremely important, design of energy-dense packs have to employ robust cooling systems, often using liquid cooling loops with hundreds of channels. The complexity of these systems adds to the cost – somewhere around 10-15% of the overall cost of the battery pack. Li-ion batteries are particularly susceptible to thermal run-away events for a few different reasons, including their high energy content and their propensity to self-heat once the electrolyte reaches a certain temperature (from 70° to 130° C).  Li-Ion cells are naturally subjected to deterioration with time due to their operating conditions and state of charge. Temperature has a major impact on the efficiency of nearly all batteries.

Due to popularity of rapid charging and performance driving, the heat losses in the cell increases due to high current in the cells. There are two main sources of heat generation in a battery cell: electrochemical operation and joule heating due to the motion of electrons within a battery cells. The temperature range of 25 °C to 40 °C provides the ideal working conditions for Li-ion batteries and if the temperature is elevated above 50 °C it become harmful for the lifespan of the batteries; Even a single cell’s premature deterioration can reduce the performance and efficiency of the whole battery pack considerably.

Below are some of the key Thermal Management Solutions that we are currently offering to the EV Industry:

• Thermally conductive Gap fillers
• Thermal Pastes
• Thermal Gap Pads
• Adhesives & Encapsulants
• Flame-retardant PU Foams