Research Article

Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems.

Volume: 5 Number: 1 June 30, 2026

Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the thermal behaviour of lithium-ion battery packs with a liquid cooling system using numerical methods. The numerical analyses cover various battery configurations, coolant velocities, and fluid types. Water and a water-propylene glycol mixture are used as coolants, and system performance is evaluated at three different inlet velocities. The main criteria used to evaluate thermal performance are maximum battery temperature and inter-cell temperature difference. The results show that, in general, as the refrigerant velocity increases, the battery temperatures decrease and the temperature distribution becomes more homogeneous. However, it was found that, at high flow rates, the temperature drop is limited and thermal gains gradually decrease. In some cases, water was found to provide lower maximum temperatures, whereas the water-propylene glycol mixture provided a more balanced temperature distribution under certain operating conditions. Additionally, it was found that as the number of cells connected in series increases, the temperature differences along the flow direction become more pronounced. In addition, the preliminary evaluation of a nanoparticle-doped coolant for a selected battery configuration was investigated. It was found that the addition of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles had a limited effect on thermal performance; therefore, the nanoparticle-doped fluid was not applied to all configurations. Overall, the study revealed that coolant type, flow rate and battery configuration should be evaluated together to ensure effective battery thermal management.

Keywords

References

  1. [1] Pesaran, A. (2005). Battery thermal management in EVs and HEVs: Issues and solutions. Journal of Power Sources; 144: 1–9.
  2. [2] Paul, D., Nandi, A., Bhattacharyya, S., Das, S., Biswas, N. (2025). A comprehensive review on lithium-ion battery thermal man-agement (BTM) using phase change materials: advances, challenges, and future perspectives. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry; 150(12): 9669-9722.
  3. [3] Feng, X., Ouyang, M., Liu, X., Lu, L., Xia, Y., He, X. (2018). Thermal runaway mechanism of lithium-ion battery for electric vehicles: A review. Energy Storage Materials; 10: 246–267.
  4. [4] Zhao, Y., Li, Q., Zou, B., Zhang, T., Jin, L., Qiao, G., Ding, Y. (2020). Performance of a liquid cooling‐based battery thermal management system with a composite phase change material. International Journal of Energy Research; 44(6): 4727-4742.
  5. [5] Wang, Q., Jiang, B., Li, B., Yan, Y. (2016). A critical review of thermal management models and solutions of lithium-ion batter-ies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews; 64: 106–128.
  6. [6] Park, H. (2013). A design of air flow configuration for cooling lithium ion battery in hybrid electric vehicles. Journal of Power Sources; 239: 30–36.
  7. [7] Al-Zareer, M., Iincer, I., Rosen, M. (2018). A review of novel thermal management systems for batteries. International Journal of Energy Research; 42: 3182–3205.
  8. [8] Wang, Q., Ping, S., Xhao, X., Chu, G., Sun, J., Chen, C. (2012). Thermal runaway caused fire and explosion of lithium ion battery. Journal of Power Sources; 208: 210–224.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Computational Methods in Fluid Flow, Heat and Mass Transfer (Incl. Computational Fluid Dynamics), Electrical Energy Storage

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 30, 2026

Submission Date

January 30, 2026

Acceptance Date

April 19, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 5 Number: 1

APA
Çirçirci, Ö., & Uzun, M. (2026). Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems. Cukurova University Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences, 5(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.70395/cunas.1877764
AMA
1.Çirçirci Ö, Uzun M. Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems. CUNAS. 2026;5(1):1-16. doi:10.70395/cunas.1877764
Chicago
Çirçirci, Özgür, and Metin Uzun. 2026. “Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems”. Cukurova University Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences 5 (1): 1-16. https://doi.org/10.70395/cunas.1877764.
EndNote
Çirçirci Ö, Uzun M (June 1, 2026) Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems. Cukurova University Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences 5 1 1–16.
IEEE
[1]Ö. Çirçirci and M. Uzun, “Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems”., CUNAS, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1–16, June 2026, doi: 10.70395/cunas.1877764.
ISNAD
Çirçirci, Özgür - Uzun, Metin. “Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems”. Cukurova University Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences 5/1 (June 1, 2026): 1-16. https://doi.org/10.70395/cunas.1877764.
JAMA
1.Çirçirci Ö, Uzun M. Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems. CUNAS. 2026;5:1–16.
MLA
Çirçirci, Özgür, and Metin Uzun. “Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems”. Cukurova University Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences, vol. 5, no. 1, June 2026, pp. 1-16, doi:10.70395/cunas.1877764.
Vancouver
1.Özgür Çirçirci, Metin Uzun. Investigation of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Nanofluids In Battery Thermal Management Systems. CUNAS. 2026 Jun. 1;5(1):1-16. doi:10.70395/cunas.1877764