Thermal management of sodium-ion and lithium-ion battery of electric vehicle using magnetic nanofluid and vortex generators with magnetic virtual baffles

Abstract

This study presents a novel approach to address thermal problems in electric vehicle batteries by utilizing an active vortex generator. This work examines the behavior of a nanofluidic flow comprising of water and Fe3O4 nanoparticles, with a volume fraction of 2%, flowing via mini-channels. The Reynolds numbers considered in the study range from 50 to 250. Magnetic fields, acting as vortex generators with strengths for the range from 800 to 2000 G, are essential for improving the cooling of electric vehicle batteries. The findings demonstrate that in the parallel ribbed channel, magnetic fields at x = 15 mm, x = 25 mm, and combined magnetic fields at x = 15 mm and 25 mm result in the highest enhancements of 53%, 75%, and 97% in the Nusselt number, respectively when the magnetic field strength is 2000 G. In the case of the staggered ribbed mini-channels, the improvements seen were 57%, 66%, and 104% respectively. Although the friction factor showed different patterns, the thermal efficiency factor (TEF) remained consistently over unity for all scenarios. The TEF reached a maximum value of 2.9 in the case of a parallel ribbed channel with both magnets in place and a magnetic field intensity of 2000 G.