Thermal Analysis of an Electric Scooter Battery Pack

In a context of electrification of transportation, the design of battery packs represents a mechanical, electrical and thermal challenge. The thermal aspect of Li-ion cells is the most critical step when designing a battery pack, due to the narrow temperature range allowable by Li-ion cells to reduce the chance of thermal runaway and maximize cell life.

Engineering Insights

• Electrical sizing of the battery pack: Evaluated the number of cells in series and parallel to achieve the desired power capacity
• Thermal analysis of the battery pack: Determined the level of heat generation and temperature distribution within the cell and pack
• Cooling solution proposal: Designed and thermal analysis of different cooling solutions based on the results of thermal analysis of the battery pack and the client specific needs
• Cooling solution optimization: Fine tuning the selected cooling solution to achieve an acceptable performance level and to prevent/manage thermal runaways
• Material selection: Evaluation of alternative materials for different parts of the battery pack including busbar, thermal pad, enclosure, and cell support to avoid battery pack heating and mitigate the potential risks.