Thermal modeling and heat management of supercapacitor modules for vehicle applications

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2009.06.038

Journal of Power Sources

Volume 194, Issue 2, 1 December 2009, Pages 581-587

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2009.06.038 Get rights and content

Abstract

Temperature has a huge influence on supercapacitor cells and modules ageing. Consequently, thermal management is a key issue concerning lifetime and performance of supercapacitor modules. This paper presents thermal modeling and heat management of supercapacitor modules for vehicle applications. The thermal model developed is based on thermal-electric analogy and allows the determination of supercapacitor temperature. Relying on this model, heat management in supercapacitor modules was studied for vehicle applications. Thus, the modules were submitted to real life driving cycles and the evolution of temperatures of supercapacitors was estimated according to electrical demands. The simulation results show that the hotspot is located in the middle of supercapacitors module and that a forced airflow cooling system is necessary.

Introduction

Heat production in supercapacitor is related exclusively to Joule losses. The supercapacitors support currents up to 400 A or more depending on cell capacitance and used technology. The repetitive charge and discharge cycles of the supercapacitor cause a significant warming even though the equivalent series resistance value is around the mΩ according to the capacitance. Several authors showed that the supercapacitor ESR varies according to the temperature [1], [2], [3]. In [4] the authors have studied the effect of the temperature and the voltage on the supercapacitors ageing. They have established a model which allows analyzing self-accelerating degradation effects caused by elevated voltages and temperatures. In the reference [5] the authors have studied and modeled the temperature effect on the supercapacitor self discharge.

This rise in temperature can have the following consequences:

•
The deterioration of the supercapacitor characteristics, especially ESR, self discharge and lifetime [4], [5], which affect its reliability and its electrical performance.
•
The pressure inside the supercapacitor is increased.
•
A premature aging of metal contacts, in fact the repetitive heating and significant temperatures can deteriorate rapidly the terminal connections of the supercapacitor.
•
The evaporation of the electrolyte and hence the destruction of the supercapacitor if the temperature exceeds 81.6 °C the boiling point of the electrolyte.

Therefore, it is important to know and understand the heat behavior of supercapacitor cells and modules. This leads to an estimation of the space-time evolution of the temperature.

This paper deals with the thermal modeling of supercapacitors and heat management in supercapacitor modules. The originality of this work is based on the integration of thermocouples located inside the supercapacitor during its manufacturing by Maxwell technologies. Cooling systems were also studied for supercapacitor modules subjected to a driving cycle.

Section snippets

Supercapacitor electric characterization

The Maxwell BCAP310F and BCAP1500F supercapacitors used in this study are based on activated carbon technology and organic electrolyte. These devices were characterized using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). This allows the determination of the supercapacitor real and imaginary components of the impedance response. It assumed that the supercapacitor capacitance C and the series resistance (ESR) are deduced from the experimental results respectively: $C = \frac{- 1}{2 π Im (z) f}$ $E S R = Re (z)$ where Im(

Thermal modeling of supercapacitors

In order to establish a thermal model of a supercapacitor cell, it is important to expose its geometric structure. The structure of a basic cell is cylindrical. The technology achievement is identical to that used for conventional capacitors. Thus, there is a basic multilayer that consists of a positive electrode and a negative electrode of activated carbon. They are electrically isolated with a separator placed between them. The ensemble forms a layer which is rolled several times and then

Thermal management of supercapacitor modules

Supercapacitor thermal management is important in order to optimize the performance and to reduce the life-cycle costs of advanced fuel cell, hybrid electric and electric vehicles (FCVs, HEVs, and EVs). Both, temperature and temperature uniformity significantly affect the performance and life of energy storage (ES) devices and vehicles. That is why the European project HyHEELS (hybrid high energy electrical storage) conducts research and development in the thermal management supercapacitors to

Conclusion

In this paper, a supercapacitor thermal model is developed. This last is based on the thermal-electric analogy. Thermal resistance and thermal capacitance have been calculated for a cylindrical geometry. The model is validated using experimental results of the BCAP310F. This last is a special supercapacitor cell including four thermocouples inside manufactured by Maxwell technologies. The thermal model was adapted for BCAP1500F. Simulation and experimental results for BCAP1500F and BCAP310F are

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Commission of the European communities’ research directorate-general; CONTRACT No 518344 (TST4-CT-2005-518344) HyHEELS Project. Authors would like to tanks Mr Knorr form Continental, Mr Lieb form BMW, M. Gallay from Garmanage, Mr Gaillard from Maxwell Technologies and Mr Cheng from VUB and all HyHEELS partners for their help.

References (9)

R. Kötz et al.
Journal of Power Sources
(2006)
H. Gualous et al.
Journal of Power Sources
(2003)
F. Rafik et al.
Journal of Power Sources
(2007)
Ph. Guillemet et al.
Journal of Power Sources
(2006)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (166)

Constant charge method or constant potential method: Which is better for molecular modeling of electrical double layers?
2024, Journal of Energy Chemistry
In molecular modeling of electrical double layers (EDLs), the constant charge method (CCM) is prized for its computational efficiency but cannot maintain electrode equipotentiality like the more resource-intensive constant potential method (CPM), potentially leading to inaccuracies. In certain scenarios, CCM can yield results identical to CPM. However, there are no clear guidelines to determine when CCM is sufficient and when CPM is required. Here, we conduct a series of molecular simulations across various electrodes and electrolytes to present a comprehensive comparison between CCM and CPM under different charging modes. Results reveal that CCM approximates CPM effectively in capturing equilibrium EDL and current-driven dynamics in open electrode systems featuring ionic liquids or regular concentration aqueous electrolytes, while CPM is indispensable in scenarios involving organic and highly concentrated aqueous electrolytes, nanoconfinement effects, and voltage-driven dynamics. This work helps to select appropriate methods for modeling EDL systems, prioritizing accuracy while considering computational efficiency.
Rational design of electrochemical energy storage and thermal energy storage double network aerogel for in-situ temperature regulation of supercapacitors
2024, Journal of Energy Storage
During the charging/discharging process, a large amount of heat is constantly generated inside the supercapacitor. Therefore, thermal management of supercapacitors is crucial. In this work, a calcium alginate/polyaniline/polyethylene glycol (CA/PANI/PEG) double network multifunctional aerogels were prepared for thermal energy storage and electrochemical energy storage Due to the strong hydrogen bonding between PANI and CA and ionic cross-linking between CA molecular chains, the CA/PANI double network structure can be used to solidify PEG. CA/PANI/PEG aerogels can form stable porous network structures with excellent properties. For example, due to the in-situ thermal management of CA/PANI/PEG, CA/PANI/PEG exhibits a higher specific capacitance than the traditional PANI-based electrode at 55 °C. More importantly, the CA/PANI/PEG aerogel not only possessed a high enthalpy of phase transition (162.1 J/g) but also showed superior capacitive performance (175 mF/cm² at 0.1 mA/cm² at 55 °C). After 10,000 charge/discharge cycle tests, it can maintain 84.5 % of the initial capacitance. This study opens up a new way for the development and application of PCMs in the thermal management of supercapacitors.
A lifetime prediction model for the thermo-electric behaviors of ultracapacitors
2024, Journal of Power Sources
In this paper, a lifetime prediction model, including an equivalent circuit model, a thermal model and an aging model is developed for the prediction of the state of charge (SOC), temperature and state of health (SOH) of the ultracapacitor. The aging model is developed based on the evolution of impedance parameters in the accelerated aging tests conducted at various voltages and temperatures. Based on the fitting results of various aging models for capacitance fade and conductance loss, a power function of the equivalent aging time is chosen for better prediction of the nonlinear aging process including the burning phase and slow aging phase. The consistency and accuracy of the power function aging model allow straightforward implementation in the lifetime prediction model as the equivalent aging time and thus the capacitance, resistance and SOH can be updated with the voltage and temperature of the ultracapacitor at each time step. The experimental results show that the lifetime prediction model is capable of predicting SOC, temperature and SOH of test cells of various aging conditions under three types of charge/discharge current profiles. In the future, the lifetime prediction model can be utilized for the development of predictive estimators and energy management of ultracapacitors.
Supercapacitors for renewable energy applications: A review
2023, Micro and Nano Engineering
Energy harvesting and conservation are essential for all kinds of power sources, particularly renewable energy sources, given their global distribution. Usually, batteries are employed to mitigate the imbalance between abundant renewable energy generation and inefficient energy transmission. However, batteries suffer from a drawback in terms of low power density. In recent years, supercapacitor devices have gained significant traction in energy systems due to their enormous power density, competing favorably with conventional energy storage solutions. This research paper comprehensively overviews various supercapacitor modalities, encompassing electrode materials, electrolytes, structures, and working principles. Furthermore, it explores the diverse applications of supercapacitors in the consumption of renewable energy, showcasing their potential in various domains, thereby reflecting the thriving prospects of these devices in modern society. Finally, the paper addresses the challenge of energy management in conjunction with supercapacitors.
Cellulose nanofibers as a green binder for symmetric carbon nanotubes-based supercapacitors
2023, Electrochimica Acta
The demand for flexible lightweight supercapacitors (FSCs), mainly applied in flexible electronics, has spun by the ever-increasing energy storage market. To meet the market criteria, electrodes with high porosity and specific surface areas are ideal candidates as lightweight and flexible supercapacitors components. This work highlights the use of nanocellulose as a bio-derived binder for flexible supercapacitors. This binder contributes to the enhancement of electrochemical performance due to its 1D fibrous hierarchical structures. In turn, nanocellulose is a promising candidate for medical and implantable devices owing to its biocompatibility. Here, we report the fabrication of freestanding, flexible, porous, and conductive electrodes via a facile scalable fabrication process. The electrodes are comprised of multi-walled carbon nanotubes as the conductive material and cellulose nanofibers as the bio-based binder. Due to the combined synergistic effect of carbon nanotubes and cellulose nanofibers, the fabricated electrodes show a high porosity. The effect of cellulose type was evaluated at 16 wt.%, which showed no significant effect on the electrochemical performances at this percentage. However, we demonstrate that the cellulose dry content for a specific cellulose type affects the electrochemical performances, with optimized performances for a dry cellulose percentage between 4 and 6 wt.%. In these formulations, the ratio between nanocellulose and CNTs contributes to the formation of porous and conductive nanosheets. The samples’ porosity was assessed regarding their specific surface area (N₂ Adsorption-desorption) while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) emphasized their morphology. Due to the high porosity as well as conductivity, the samples showed a good specific capacitance (∼ 9 F/g) and outstanding cycling stability with an increase in specific capacitance of about 10% after 3500 cycles at 0.13 A/g.
Identification of thermal process of electric double layer capacitor systems by distribution of relaxation times analysis for thermal impedance spectroscopy
2023, Journal of Energy Storage
Identification of thermal process is important for obtaining the thermal parameters of electric double layer capacitors. This study applies distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis for physical interpretation of the thermal impedance spectroscopy measurement of EDLC systems. Three distinct peaks are observed in the DRT plots of the electrode systems. The peak area represents the thermal resistance contribution of different thermal processes, while the time constant of peak center represents the speed of each process. The results indicate that the peaks from short to long time constant can be attributed to heat conductions in solid, interfacial, and fluid-involved paths, respectively. In addition, the area of peaks are strongly affected by the compression of electrode. This is attributed to the variations in total thickness and cross-sectional area of the system. Finally, replacing the fluid from air to electrolyte or changing solid–fluid ratio in two-phase region can lead to a remarkable shift in time constant of fluid-involved heat transfer peak.

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

ReviewThermal modeling and heat management of supercapacitor modules for vehicle applications

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Supercapacitor electric characterization

Thermal modeling of supercapacitors

Thermal management of supercapacitor modules

Conclusion

Acknowledgment

Journal of Power Sources

Journal of Power Sources

Journal of Power Sources

Journal of Power Sources

Review
Thermal modeling and heat management of supercapacitor modules for vehicle applications