Review on use of phase change materials in battery thermal management for electric and hybrid electric vehicles

The battery electric vehicle is evolving and has the potential to replace conventional internal combustion-based vehicles in the future. Batteries are the major power source of these vehicles. A thermal management system is required for a battery to attain effective operation and long life in all environmental conditions. Although several types of thermal management system are available, there remains a need to address various issues like high power consumption, narrow optimum temperature range and operation in varying climates. Phase change materials can assist in resolving these issues. In this paper, battery thermal management systems for electric and hybrid electric vehicles are reviewed, and challenges and opportunities for battery electric vehicles are discussed. Cooling strategies used in various thermal management systems are explained. Applications of and issues regarding the use of phase change materials in thermal management systems are also reviewed. Potential bottlenecks that need to be addressed in electric vehicle technology are explained, as are important achievement milestones and trends regarding the growth of the electric vehicle industry. It is shown that using graphite can increase thermal conductivity of PCMs by up to 70 W m- 1K- 1. Some commercially available passive thermal management systems for batteries use wax and graphite, which can increase the driving range of an electric scooter from 30 km to 55 km. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.