Li-ion cells have demonstrated excellent performance when operated at ambient temperature conditions. Still, the adverse effect of temperature excursions on lithium-ion cell performance is evident... Show moreLi-ion cells have demonstrated excellent performance when operated at ambient temperature conditions. Still, the adverse effect of temperature excursions on lithium-ion cell performance is evident when the cell is operated at elevated temperatures beyond 65 oC or at low temperatures below 0 oC. In all applications, e.g. for powering personal electronics or electric vehicles (EV), a number of cells are packed together in different configurations (parallel and series) to form a battery. It is important to keep the battery pack temperature within a fairly narrow temperature range for optimal battery performance. Thermal management for battery systems can be achieved using an IIT patented technology that incorporates phase change material (PCM) in the battery pack design. The PCM integrated in the cell and/or battery design will act as a heat sink for heat generated, for example during discharge of a Li-ion battery, which is a highly exothermic process. The heat stored will be evolved later when the battery temperature drops during battery charge, or under cold weather conditions.The objectives of this project is to design and test a 10 A-hr, 12 VDC lithium-ion battery module that can be used to power electric/hybrid vehicles(EV/HEV). The design and testing of the battery module will require a team of students with strong backgrounds in mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering. There will also be a need for law students to ensure proper protection of any new intellectual property generated from the project. A business student is required to conduct a market survey of these technologies, including the current market size and sales projections for the EV/HEV market. Show less
