Thermal Management of Lithium-ion Batteries Using Supercapacitors

As the market for renewable resources increases, the bandwidth of applications using Li-ion batteries as the primary source of energy also increases. Li-ion batteries are at a risk of undergoing thermal runaway under uncontrolled situations. Overcharging, over-discharging, high internal temperatures, etc. are all factors towards the gradual degradation of Li-ion battery performance. Therefore, it is important to have an efficient battery management system to ensure the smooth functioning of the battery. Thermal management systems is an important aspect of the battery management system to keep battery temperatures under critical levels. Although, there are various methods of cooling down the battery such as air or liquid cooling, these methods are remedial in nature and not precautionary. Plenty of research is being done in order to remove heat from the primary source itself. This thesis explores the feasibility of a novel approach of using a hybrid battery- supercapacitor architecture as a means of thermal management