Computer-Aided Design and Analysis 61 COMSOL offers an analysis and modeling tool that is based on a “multiphysics” model which means that it can do thermal analysis, mechanical analysis, fluid flow analysis, electri- cal analysis, chemical analysis, and much more (COMSOL, 2014). All of these tools and software packages represent some of the most common simulation and analysis tools that are used in the battery engineering and design process, but are by no means a complete list nor are they intended to promote one tool over the other.
The best recommen- dation that I can make is that your engineering team must evaluate their engineering and evaluation needs, their skill sets and then discuss them with the software suppliers and select the right tool to meet their development targets and engineering budgets. Analysis Tools These different products, companies, and institutions integrate several different types of analysis into these tools. The most common type of analysis that is conducted for thermal systems is CFD.
CFD is a set of tools for thermal analysis and heat transfer that can be used from the cell- to the system-level to analyze the impact of heat generation and cooling on all of the components in the system based on the “fluid” flow of either air of liquid. But it requires some programming and development by a qualified thermal engineer or analyst and when done will offer good thermal model that can be very closely correlated to the actual performance of a battery system. This, when used correctly, can be an extremely valuable tool for both evaluating various battery pack configurations and for speeding up the development process ( Figure 1 ).
Another frequently used analytical tool is the finite element analysis (FEA) model. Where the CFD is focused on an analysis of the thermal performance the FEA model is a physics-based analysis tool that is more frequently focused on analyzing the mechanical forces and stresses that are placed on the cells, modules, packs, and system but can also be used for analysis of thermal and electromagnetic solutions. Using similar processes as the CFD analysis, a Figure 1 Thermal models of lithium-ion cells.