A Critical Review of Composite Phase Change Materials in Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Management
Keywords:
Composite phase change materials, Lithium-ion battery, Thermal management, Expanded graphite, Thermal conductivity, Thermal runawayAbstract
The rapid adoption of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles has heightened concerns over thermal safety and performance optimization, particularly the prevention of thermal runaway. Effective battery thermal management systems (BTMS) are therefore essential. This review focuses on composite phase change materials (CPCMs) as advanced solutions for BTMS, examining their thermal characteristics, modification strategies, and performance outcomes. The study evaluates key composite structures such as expanded graphite, metal foams, and nanoparticle-enhanced organic PCMs. Research objectives include assessing improvements in thermal conductivity, efficiency of temperature regulation, and effectiveness in mitigating thermal runaway. Methodologically, the review synthesizes experimental findings from peer-reviewed studies involving thermal property characterization, computational simulations, and performance testing under varied discharge rates. Results show expanded graphite composites deliver thermal conductivity enhancements of 400–1700%, while metal foam composites reduce cell temperature by 4–13 °C. Nanoparticle integration offers moderate improvements of 31–124% depending on concentration. Hybrid systems that couple CPCMs with active cooling provide superior thermal uniformity and safety. The findings confirm that multi-component CPCMs with three-dimensional thermal networks hold strong potential as next-generation BTMS for electric vehicles.
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References
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