Electric Vehicles Research

This research investigates the thermal behavior and cooling effectiveness of nanofluids used in Battery Thermal Management Systems (BTMS) for electric vehicles, focusing on how nanoparticle composition and operating temperatures influence system performance. Through controlled experiments and CFD-based thermal modeling, nanofluids containing Au, Ag, CuO, and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles are evaluated across varying Battery Surface Temperatures (B.S.T.) and Cooler Surface Temperatures (C.S.T.) to identify their stability, heat rejection, and cooling capacity. Results show that nanofluids respond uniquely to thermal loads—Au, CuO, and Al₂O₃ demonstrate stable cooling at 30°C B.S.T., while Ag and Al₂O₃ perform better at 35°C B.S.T., highlighting the need for temperature-specific coolant selection. Comparisons with plain coolant reveal that adding nanoparticles improves cooling stability at higher temperatures but also introduces nonlinear behavior influenced by local temperature dips and sudden thermal fluctuations in the network. The study further shows that nanofluid performance becomes more sensitive and deviates at higher B.S.T., while maintaining near-linear behavior at lower temperatures. Overall, the research provides insight into how nanofluids interact with real BTMS thermal dynamics and establishes guidelines for selecting and optimizing nanofluid coolants for next-generation electric vehicle applications.