Thermal Analysis of Parallel Connected Li-Ion Batteries for Hybrid Aircraft

Abstract

Due to rising emissions, electric aircraft may indeed become inevitable. With the increase in production of hybrid aircraft, due to such needs for reduced energy sources and increased storage systems, the importance of batteries will also increase in the near future. When selecting batteries, consideration must be given to their energy density, non-toxicity, weight and optimum operating temperature. The density of lithium in the liquid state is only half that of water and in the solid state it is the lightest metal. Furthermore, lithium has a tendency to give electrons and charge, thus making it an important choice for use in batteries and the focus of this study. In this study, a sum of 20 batteries in the form of 2 parallel, 10 series were investigated. The thermal performance of the batteries was studied under natural conditions. It was concluded that forced convection should be done instead of natural convection for C ratios 2 and 2.5, because natural convection proved inadequate. © 2020 SAE International. All Rights Reserved.