Thermal network model development for an extended range electric vehicle battery pack with experimental verification through dynamic environmental exposure

Abstract

The objective was to develop a thermal model of the Chevrolet Volt battery pack, with focused on the influence of packaging components external to the cell modules, and on the pack’s response to ambient environmental influences. The thermal network was refined experimentally using heat flux and temperature measurements on a production vehicle battery pack. The initial model representing lab conditions produced simulation results with very good accuracy, comparable to the level of signal noise itself. The verified lab model was then modified to match the environment of the real vehicle, considering engine bay temperature, chassis temperature, underbody convection, and road radiation. This full thermal model was verified using road test data, and reproduced temperature and heat flow with accuracy comparable to the lab test runs. The final thermal network can be employed to perform a dynamic thermal analysis through a wide range of drive profiles combined with environmental exposure conditions.