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Journals / Gazi Üniversitesi Mühendislik Mimarlık Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 41 Sayı: 2

Forced convection air cooling of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles: the effect of airflow configurations on aerothermal performance

Elektrikli araçlarda kullanılan silindirik tip lityum-iyon bataryaların zorlanmış konveksiyonlu hava soğutması: hava akış konfigürasyonlarının aero-termal performansa etkisi

Ferhat Akkuş(BATMAN UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-4587-7039
Pages
869–884
Publication Date
2026-07-20
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

This study demonstrates that optimizing air inlet–outlet configurations, in addition to air flow velocity, is critically important in the design of air-cooled battery thermal management systems and provides aerothermal engineering insights for electric vehicle battery modules.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:The safe, efficient, and long-lasting operation of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles is directly dependent on the effective use of battery thermal management systems (BTMS).
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Key Findings & Data:In air-cooled BMSs in particular, cooling performance is significantly affected by aero-thermal parameters such as air flow velocity/flow rate, inlet–outlet configuration, and internal flow distribution within the module.
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Conclusion & Impact:This study demonstrates that optimizing air inlet–outlet configurations, in addition to air flow velocity, is critically important in the design of air-cooled battery thermal management systems and provides aerothermal engineering insights for electric vehicle battery modules.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Elektrikli araçlar · Lityum iyon bataryalar · batarya termal yönetim sistemleri

Abstract

The safe, efficient, and long-lasting operation of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles is directly dependent on the effective use of battery thermal management systems (BTMS). In air-cooled BMSs in particular, cooling performance is significantly affected by aero-thermal parameters such as air flow velocity/flow rate, inlet–outlet configuration, and internal flow distribution within the module. In this study, forced convection air cooling of a battery module consisting of 12 cylindrical 18650 lithium-ion battery cells in a 4 series 3 parallel (4S3P) arrangement was experimentally investigated under different air inlet-outlet configurations and fan speeds. The experiments were conducted in a thermally isolated conditioning unit, under a constant discharge current of 10 A and air inlet velocities ranging from 3 to 7.5 m/s. The maximum temperature (Tmax) of the battery module, the inter-cell temperature difference (ΔT), and the effective heat transfer coefficient (hₑₜₖᵢₙ) calculated based on experimental temperature data were comparatively analyzed for different air flow configurations. Furthermore, the flow conditions at the inlet section were theoretically analyzed, and the theoretical heat transfer coefficient was calculated using Reynolds and Nusselt numbers and correlated with the experimental findings. The results obtained show that forced convection-based air cooling significantly reduces the maximum temperature of the battery module compared to natural convection and makes the temperature distribution more homogeneous. It has been determined that air flow configurations with multiple and reciprocal inlets and outlets provide lower Tmax and ΔT values compared to unidirectional arrangements. Although cooling performance generally improved with increased fan speed, it was observed that the temperature decrease trend approached saturation at high speeds. The combined evaluation of theoretical and experimental heat transfer coefficients revealed that actual cooling performance is strongly dependent not only on inlet flow conditions but also on internal flow routing strategies within the module. This study demonstrates that optimizing air inlet–outlet configurations, in addition to air flow velocity, is critically important in the design of air-cooled battery thermal management systems and provides aerothermal engineering insights for electric vehicle battery modules.

Özet

Elektrikli araçlarda kullanılan lityum-iyon bataryaların güvenli, verimli ve uzun ömürlü çalışabilmesi, batarya termal yönetim sistemlerinin (BTMS) efektif kullanımına direkt olarak bağlıdır. Özellikle hava soğutmalı BTMS’lerde soğutma performansı; hava akış hızı/debisi, giriş–çıkış konfigürasyonu ve modül içi akış dağılımı gibi aero-termal parametrelerden önemli ölçüde etkilenmektedir. Bu çalışmada, 12 adet 18650 silindirik tipi lityum-iyon batarya hücrelerden oluşan 4 seri 3 paralel (4S3P) dizilimdeki bir batarya modülünün zorlanmış konveksiyonlu hava soğutması, farklı hava giriş–çıkış konfigürasyonları ve fan hızları altında deneysel olarak incelenmiştir. Deneyler, termal olarak izole edilmiş bir şartlandırma ünitesi içerisinde, 10 A sabit deşarj akımı altında ve 3–7,5 m/s aralığındaki hava giriş hızlarında gerçekleştirilmiştir. Farklı hava akış konfigürasyonları için batarya modülünün maksimum sıcaklığı (Tmax), hücreler arası sıcaklık farkı (ΔT) ve deneysel sıcaklık verilerine dayalı olarak hesaplanan etkin ısı transfer katsayısı (hₑₜₖᵢₙ) karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmiştir. Ayrıca, giriş kesitindeki akış koşulları teorik olarak ele alınarak Reynolds ve Nusselt sayıları üzerinden teorik ısı transfer katsayısı hesaplanmış ve deneysel bulgularla ilişkilendirilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, zorlanmış taşınım temelli hava soğutmanın doğal taşınıma kıyasla batarya modülünün maksimum sıcaklığını belirgin biçimde düşürdüğünü ve sıcaklık dağılımını daha homojen hale getirdiğini göstermiştir. Çoklu ve karşılıklı giriş–çıkışa sahip hava akış konfigürasyonlarının, tek yönlü düzenlemelere göre daha düşük Tmax ve ΔT değerleri sağladığı belirlenmiştir. Fan hızının artırılmasıyla soğutma performansı genel olarak iyileşmiş olmakla birlikte, yüksek hızlarda sıcaklık düşüşü eğiliminin doygunluğa yaklaştığı gözlemlenmiştir. Teorik ve deneysel ısı transfer katsayılarının birlikte değerlendirilmesi, gerçek soğutma performansının yalnızca giriş akış şartlarına değil, modül içi akış yönlendirme stratejilerine güçlü biçimde bağlı olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu çalışma, hava soğutmalı batarya termal yönetim sistemlerinin tasarımında, hava akış hızının yanı sıra hava giriş–çıkış konfigürasyonlarının optimize edilmesinin kritik önem taşıdığını göstermekte ve elektrikli araç batarya modülleri için aero-termal açıdan yol gösterici mühendislik çıkarımları sunmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Akkuş, F. (2026). Forced convection air cooling of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles: the effect of airflow configurations on aerothermal performance. Gazi Üniversitesi Mühendislik Mimarlık Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 41 Sayı: 2, 869–884. https://doi.org/10.17341/gazimmfd.1848036

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