Battery Cooling Simulation using STAR-CCM+
A generic Li-ion battery pack as typically used in an electric vehicle is simulated in STAR-CCM+, using an analytical model for the electrochemical battery behavior and a thermal/flow simulation with conjugate heat transfer to determine the cooling efficiency. A single Li-ion battery cell is modeled in Battery Design Studio. This model is then used in the Battery Simulation Module of STAR-CCM+, which allows to embed the cell within an electric circuit and to put it under a prescribed load. The battery model then calculates the heat development in the cell based on the load and the electrochemical model. This heat is applied as a distributed heat source in the fluid simulation, which can then be used to investigate and optimize the cooling efficiency.