Design Optimization of Composite Battery Enclosure for Electric Vehicles
This project aims to develop the battery carrier system of an electric vehicle using fiber-reinforced composite material. R&D activities will be carried out on the structural analysis and optimization of the battery carrier system to be developed in terms of crash safety. Within the scope of the project, fiber reinforced composites will be examined in terms of mechanical performance and dimensional stability. Also, both collision etc. The battery carrier system, which must have the necessary structural strength performance against both instantaneous loads and vibratory loads transferred during driving, will be designed based on finite element simulations. Unquestionably, carbon fiber is one of the most effective mechanical reinforcement materials due to its excellent specific mechanical properties.
On the other hand, due to its high cost, the use of other reinforcement materials such as glass fiber, which is sometimes more cost-effective, can also be considered as an alternative. In order to determine the most suitable fiber type for the battery carrier system in terms of both cost and structural performance, the use of hybrid fiber (carbon and glass fiber blend) will also be discussed in this project. By using different fractions of carbon and glass fiber, the optimum value of the carbon/glass fiber ratio will be determined. On the other hand, there is a need to develop a suitable thermal management system for the safe operation of an energy efficient electric vehicle. The thermal management system consists of a heating process as well as a cooling system as the main system. Depending on the voltage and power level required for electric vehicles, a certain number of modules consist of battery cells with different connection configurations in series or parallel. More than one cell is grouped to form the module, and more than one module is grouped to form the battery pack. According to the connection design of the modules, the cooling system must provide the necessary heat discharge. The second aim of this project is to design a battery cooling plate suitable for the battery modules to be used for TOGG electric vehicles, in line with the consortium studies. For this purpose, the necessary design, numerical analysis and experimental studies have been planned.
PhD and master's students working on the project are trained on the tests, analysis and optimum design of armor composites. Project outcomes also include:
E. Acar, N. Jain, P. Ramu, C. Hwang, I. Lee, "A survey on design optimization of battery electric vehicle components, systems, and management," Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Vol. 67, 2024, Art. No. 27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-024-03737-7.
E. Acar, “Investigation of the Structural Performance of the Battery Enclosure of an Electric Vehicle,” International Conference on Emerging Trends in Engineering, Science and Technology (ICEST - 2024), 2-3 February 2024, Boston, MA.
E. Acar, G. Bayrak, A.M. Türkmen, A.E. Şahin, E.N. Güleçyüz, E.S Koç, Ö. Köseali, “Bir Elektrikli Aracın Kompozit Batarya Paketi Muhafazasının Tasarım İyileştirmesi,” International Symposium on Automotive Science and Technology, 7-8 September 2023, Ankara, Türkiye.