Abstract
A general energy balance for battery systems has been developed. This equation is useful for estimating cell thermal characteristics. Reliable predictions of cell temperature and heat‐generation rate are required for the design and thermal management of battery systems. The temperature of a cell changes as a result of electrochemical reactions, phase changes, mixing effects, and joule heating. The equation developed incorporates these effects in a complete and general manner. Simplifications and special cases are discussed. The results of applying the energy balance to a mathematical model of the 
cell discharged through two different reaction mechanisms are given as examples. The examples illustrate how the energy equation may be applied to a specific system to examine the relative contributions corresponding to the terms in the equation. The examples show that the processes involved in cell heat generation may be complex and that the application of a sufficiently general energy equation is advantageous.