Polyurethane Foam Skeleton-Based Phase Change Hydrogel for Efficient Battery Thermal Management with Favorable Antivibration Performance

Abstract

Efficient thermal management is critical to ensure the safe and reliable operation of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as they are highly sensitive to temperature changes. Meanwhile, LIBs are exposed to various external forces during operation, such as vibration, shock, and oscillation, which may disrupt the physical and chemical processes inside the battery and lead to a decreased performance and shortened life. Here, we designed a phase change hydrogel (PCH) pad based on the polyurethane (PU) foam skeleton and demonstrated its effectiveness in efficient thermal management and improving antivibration performance. The thermal conductivity of the prepared composite is 0.65 W/(m• K), while the thermal contact resistance could decrease to ∼20 K• cm 2 /W under 60 °C. It exhibits a flexible contact transformation during the phase transition, resulting in enhanced interfacial heat transfer and storage rate, as well as improved resistance against external impacts. The temperature of the battery module wrapped with a composite plate decreases by 11.4 °C during the 6C discharge. Moreover, the additional heat generated by external vibration is only half that of the bare battery, and the temperature difference could reach 5.2 °C, demonstrating the effective buffering effect of PCH@PU in mitigating long-term discharge-induced increases in internal resistance. The developed PCH@PU, known for its exceptional thermal management and favorable antivibration performance, holds promising potential for widespread utilization in the field of power battery heat dissipation.

Analysis of Thermal Management Strategies for 21700 Lithium-Ion Batteries Incorporating Phase Change Materials and Porous Copper Foam with Different Battery Orientations

“…Bai, et al [54] established a promising thermal management system model for square lithium iron phosphate batteries sandwiched by PCM/water-cooled plates with the upper portion being the water-cooled plates and the lower portion being the PCM. Not long ago, Zhao, et al [55] introduced a phase change hydrogel pad based on a polyurethane foam skeleton. Not only is this PCM-based material effective in thermal management, but it also improves its anti-vibration capability.…”