Comparative fem study of thermal behavior in sheet metal and smc battery pack cases for electric vehicles: Insights into thermal management strategies

Abstract

The electric vehicle (EV) market is rapidly expanding, necessitating the development of efficient and safe battery technologies. The material of the battery pack case is crucial, as thermal management is a primary concern due to thermal runaway risks. This paper compares sheet metal and boron nitride doped sheet molding compound (SMC) for electric vehicle battery pack cases. A verified finite element method (FEM) is used to investigate thermal behavior and potential mitigation strategies. During thermal tests, sheet metal cases conduct heat better for efficient distribution, while SMC cases limit heat spreading due to lower conductivity. In the thermal cyclic test, sheet metal cases react rapidly to temperature changes, unlike SMC cases, which have slower responses. To reduce the risk of thermal runaway, SMC materials with boron nitride doping and hybrid systems featuring microchannels are effective options. This indicates that SMC could serve as a practical substitute for EV battery packs.