Prototype design and experimental study of a metal alloy-based thermal energy storage system for heat supply in electric vehicles. (July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Luo, Chaohong; Xie, Peng; Chen, Guansheng; Mao, Lingbo; Liu, Liangde; Jin, Lu; Cheng, Zijie; Xu, Jiameng; Qiao, Geng
• Is Part Of: Journal of energy storage. Volume 51(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07
• Subjects: Thermal energy storage -- Aluminum silicon alloy -- Phase change material -- Thermal management -- Electric vehicle -- Electric bus; Energy storage -- Periodicals; Energy storage -- Research -- Periodicals; 621.3126
• DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2022.104393
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-152X

Abstract

Abstract: In cold climates, a large portion of the battery power in an electric vehicle is used to provide heat to the cabin, which can result in a significant reduction in mileage. In order to address this issue, a compact thermal energy storage system based on aluminum silicon alloy was proposed, and expected to be used in electric vehicles as the heat supplier, in which the output temperature and heat power are fully adjustable according to the heat demand. The charge/discharge characteristics and thermal insulation performance of the system have been studied. The energy density of the heat storage tank is 225 Wh/kg or 179 Wh/L. It can supply heat for more than 3 h under the discharge power of 1.5 kW, and the heat utilization rate is higher than 80%. Compared with using the battery power for cabin heating, this device is economically favorable due to the high energy storage density and low cost. Therefore, the proposed TES heating system in this work provides a promising solution to save battery power for extending the cruising range at low temperatures. Highlights: A compact thermal energy storage system based on AlSi alloy for EVs is prototyped. The mass and volume energy density is 225 Wh/kg and 179 Wh/L, respectively. Heat charging, heat insulation and heat release performance of the system are studied. Technical details and know-how of mPCM-based TES system for EVs are demonstrated.