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Articles

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2025): Volume1, Issue 2, 2025

Thermal Management System Based on Phase Change Material (PCM) and Heat Pipe in Lithium-ion Electric Vehicle Batteries

Submitted
June 18, 2026
Published
2025-05-11

Abstract

The battery's high operating temperature may result in a thermal runaway, a reduction in battery capacity, and a 
shorter discharge cycle. Therefore, while operating high-performance electric cars, a thermal management system is 
essential to control the battery's temperature. This system must be dependable, lightweight, small, and capable of 
boosting battery performance. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of employing PCM 
and heatpipe for battery temperature control. Soy wax, which has a melting point of 38.49°C, was the PCM 
employed in this experiment. The heatpipe may assist speed up the heat transmission that takes place in the battery, 
and soywax is anticipated to absorb and retain the heat produced. The battery without cooling system, cooling using 
just PCM, cooling using only a heatpipe, and cooling using a combination of PCM and heat pipes are the four 
versions of the basic experimental setup that is built and the series of tests carried out. The findings demonstrated 
that the thermal management system with just heat pipes could lower the temperature by about 11°C, from 108.2°C 
to 97.2°C. Additionally, if the PCM was placed in the heatsink box surrounding the battery, the temperature could 
drop by up to 40°C, from 108.2°C to 68.2°C; if the PCM was placed in the heatsink box surrounding the battery 
and heat pipe, the temperature could drop by up to more than 50°C, from 108.2°C to 58.3°C. The thermal 
characteristics of PCM during cycle tests and the discharge process are crucial for boosting natural convection and 
heat conduction in the PCM structure, which improves heat dissipation efficiency and lowers failure risk in a PCM-
based passive thermal management system. The efficiency of thermal management and electric car batteries may be 
improved by using PCM cooling systems and heat pipes