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Electric Vehicles Research

Research Title

Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS) Using Nanofluids for Electric Vehicles

Why Battery Thermal Management Matters

Battery temperature plays a critical role in the safety, efficiency, lifespan, and performance of electric vehicles (EVs). Poor thermal management can lead to reduced battery life, performance degradation, and in extreme cases, thermal runaway and safety risks. As EV adoption accelerates worldwide, developing more effective and reliable cooling systems has become a critical engineering challenge.

Conventional coolants often struggle to maintain stable temperatures under high thermal loads. This research explores nanofluids as an advanced solution to improve heat dissipation in next-generation Battery Thermal Management Systems (BTMS).

Research Objective

The primary goal of this research is to understand and optimize how nanofluids behave inside EV battery cooling systems under realistic operating conditions.

We focus on answering key questions:

How do different nanoparticles influence cooling performance?
How does nanofluid behavior change with battery temperature?
Which nanofluids are most stable and effective for specific operating ranges?

What Are Nanofluids and Why Use Them?

Nanofluids are engineered coolants created by dispersing nanoparticles into a base fluid. These nanoparticles can significantly enhance heat transfer properties, making them promising candidates for high-performance cooling applications.

In this study, we investigate nanofluids containing:

Gold (Au)
Silver (Ag)
Copper Oxide (CuO)
Aluminum Oxide (Al₂O₃)

Each nanoparticle type has unique thermal characteristics, and understanding their behavior inside a BTMS is essential for real-world application.

Research Approach and Methodology

To ensure realistic and reliable results, we combine experimental testing with CFD-based thermal modeling.

Our methodology includes:

Controlled laboratory experiments
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations
Analysis across varying Battery Surface Temperatures (B.S.T.)
Evaluation under different Cooler Surface Temperatures (C.S.T.)

This combined approach allows us to capture both physical behavior and system-level thermal dynamics.

Key Findings and Insights

Our results reveal that nanofluids do not behave uniformly — their performance depends strongly on temperature and nanoparticle type:

Au, CuO, and Al₂O₃ nanofluids provide stable cooling at 30°C B.S.T.
Ag and Al₂O₃ nanofluids perform better at 35°C B.S.T.
Compared to plain coolant, nanofluids significantly improve cooling stability at higher temperatures
At elevated B.S.T., nanofluids exhibit nonlinear behavior, influenced by:
- Local temperature dips
- Sudden thermal fluctuations within the cooling network
At lower temperatures, nanofluids maintain near-linear and predictable behavior

These findings highlight the importance of temperature-specific coolant selection rather than a one-solution-fits-all approach.

Why This Research Is Important

This work bridges the gap between laboratory-scale nanofluid research and real-world EV thermal management systems. Instead of assuming ideal conditions, we study how nanofluids interact with the complex and dynamic thermal environment of an actual BTMS.

The outcomes provide:

Design guidelines for EV thermal engineers
Insight into nanofluid stability under realistic conditions
A foundation for optimizing cooling systems in future EV platforms

Opportunities for Researchers and Collaboration

This research is part of a broader effort to develop smarter, safer, and more efficient electric vehicles. We actively welcome researchers interested in: