Strategies for passive thermal management of lithium-ion batteries in microgravity: Combining PCMs, metal foams, fins, and nanoparticles

This study investigates the thermal management of lithium-ion batteries under zero-gravity conditions using various passive thermal management strategies. The primary focus is on enhancing heat dissipation by incorporating a phase change materials (PCM) layer on the external surface of the battery....

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Main Authors: Hamid-Reza Bahrami, Mahziyar Ghaedi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25005076
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author Hamid-Reza Bahrami
Mahziyar Ghaedi
author_facet Hamid-Reza Bahrami
Mahziyar Ghaedi
author_sort Hamid-Reza Bahrami
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates the thermal management of lithium-ion batteries under zero-gravity conditions using various passive thermal management strategies. The primary focus is on enhancing heat dissipation by incorporating a phase change materials (PCM) layer on the external surface of the battery. To address the low thermal conductivity of PCMs, additional strategies such as the inclusion of fins, nanoparticles, and porous foam were systematically examined. Binary and ternary combinations of these methods were also analyzed to identify optimal configurations. The effects of key parameters, including PCM type (RT-44HC, RT-35, RT-27, HM-O30), fin characteristics (number: 3, 5, 7, 9, length: 4, 6, 8 mm, thickness: 1, 2, 3 mm, arrangement: uniform or non-uniform), fin material (aluminum, copper, steel), foam (porosity: 0.90, 0.94, 0.98, foam material: aluminum, copper, nickel), and C-rate (3C, 4C, 5C), were thoroughly investigated. Emphasis was placed on parameter selection to accommodate weightless conditions effectively. The results reveal that using PCM alone (in optimal selection, RT-27) can reduce the maximum battery temperature by approximately 62 K, compared to the baseline temperature of ∼370 K in bare conditions. Enhanced the system—combining PCM with fins, nanoparticles, or porous foam—achieved an additional reduction of 11–14 K under their optimal conditions. Considering the minimal impact of nanoparticle addition on system weight, a composite of PCM (RT-27) with 3 % graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) is proposed as the optimal solution for weightless applications, effectively reducing the maximum temperature during high discharge rates (5C) by about 73 K.
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spelling doaj-art-b58ba8ee947d4fcf916b8d1e622e9a502025-08-20T02:04:43ZengElsevierCase Studies in Thermal Engineering2214-157X2025-07-017110624710.1016/j.csite.2025.106247Strategies for passive thermal management of lithium-ion batteries in microgravity: Combining PCMs, metal foams, fins, and nanoparticlesHamid-Reza Bahrami0Mahziyar Ghaedi1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Qom University of Technology, P.O. Box 37195-1519, Qom, 37181 46645, Iran; Corresponding author.Department of Mechanical Engineering, Qom University of Technology, Qom, IranThis study investigates the thermal management of lithium-ion batteries under zero-gravity conditions using various passive thermal management strategies. The primary focus is on enhancing heat dissipation by incorporating a phase change materials (PCM) layer on the external surface of the battery. To address the low thermal conductivity of PCMs, additional strategies such as the inclusion of fins, nanoparticles, and porous foam were systematically examined. Binary and ternary combinations of these methods were also analyzed to identify optimal configurations. The effects of key parameters, including PCM type (RT-44HC, RT-35, RT-27, HM-O30), fin characteristics (number: 3, 5, 7, 9, length: 4, 6, 8 mm, thickness: 1, 2, 3 mm, arrangement: uniform or non-uniform), fin material (aluminum, copper, steel), foam (porosity: 0.90, 0.94, 0.98, foam material: aluminum, copper, nickel), and C-rate (3C, 4C, 5C), were thoroughly investigated. Emphasis was placed on parameter selection to accommodate weightless conditions effectively. The results reveal that using PCM alone (in optimal selection, RT-27) can reduce the maximum battery temperature by approximately 62 K, compared to the baseline temperature of ∼370 K in bare conditions. Enhanced the system—combining PCM with fins, nanoparticles, or porous foam—achieved an additional reduction of 11–14 K under their optimal conditions. Considering the minimal impact of nanoparticle addition on system weight, a composite of PCM (RT-27) with 3 % graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) is proposed as the optimal solution for weightless applications, effectively reducing the maximum temperature during high discharge rates (5C) by about 73 K.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25005076Metal foamBattery thermal managementNanoparticlesFinsWeightlessZero gravity
spellingShingle Hamid-Reza Bahrami
Mahziyar Ghaedi
Strategies for passive thermal management of lithium-ion batteries in microgravity: Combining PCMs, metal foams, fins, and nanoparticles
Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
Metal foam
Battery thermal management
Nanoparticles
Fins
Weightless
Zero gravity
title Strategies for passive thermal management of lithium-ion batteries in microgravity: Combining PCMs, metal foams, fins, and nanoparticles
title_full Strategies for passive thermal management of lithium-ion batteries in microgravity: Combining PCMs, metal foams, fins, and nanoparticles
title_fullStr Strategies for passive thermal management of lithium-ion batteries in microgravity: Combining PCMs, metal foams, fins, and nanoparticles
title_full_unstemmed Strategies for passive thermal management of lithium-ion batteries in microgravity: Combining PCMs, metal foams, fins, and nanoparticles
title_short Strategies for passive thermal management of lithium-ion batteries in microgravity: Combining PCMs, metal foams, fins, and nanoparticles
title_sort strategies for passive thermal management of lithium ion batteries in microgravity combining pcms metal foams fins and nanoparticles
topic Metal foam
Battery thermal management
Nanoparticles
Fins
Weightless
Zero gravity
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25005076
work_keys_str_mv AT hamidrezabahrami strategiesforpassivethermalmanagementoflithiumionbatteriesinmicrogravitycombiningpcmsmetalfoamsfinsandnanoparticles
AT mahziyarghaedi strategiesforpassivethermalmanagementoflithiumionbatteriesinmicrogravitycombiningpcmsmetalfoamsfinsandnanoparticles