Hybrid and electric vehicles are considered as future of automotive industry. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are superior to conventional batteries due to their higher energy density, slower rate of self-discharge, and better stability. However, performance of Li-ion batteries is significantly affected by thermal management, and if the produced heat is not distributed effectively, it may cause thermal runaway issue. This issue may be avoided via effective thermal management. Therefore, it is essential to develop an efficient thermal management system to keep the battery module's temperature distribution within the acceptable range for operation. This study offers a brief overview about Li-ion batteries function and the many challenges inherent in their thermal management. Air cooling is an effective thermal management strategy for maintaining the cell's temperature within an optimal functioning range under certain situations. Earlier studies have been conducted on heat transfer augmentation strategies emphasizing thermal management systems. In current work, efforts have been made to increase the effectiveness of the air-cooled Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS) by optimizing the channel shape from which the coolant flows. The User-Defined Function (UDF) was interpreted as a variable heat generation source inside the prismatic cells. Numerical simulations were performed using the commercial code Fluent®. Three new cases were tested, and their performance were compared with the unmodified channel. The efficacy of different optimized channel shape was studied at two distinct Reynolds Numbers (Re) based on channel inlet length. Simulation results demonstrate that modified design improve the thermal performance and enhancing the uniformity of prismatic cells.

Deposition of mineral foulants on the heat exchanger surface increases the thermal resistance and shorten the operating service life of heat exchangers. Inverse solubility characteristics of some mineral salts in the cooling water cause intensified mineral fouling on heated heat exchanger surfaces. The formation of fouling deposits starts when mineral salts in water crystallize on the heated surface. In this study, a coating of gum Arabic and MWCNT mixture was applied on the surface of the heat exchanger to mitigate CaCO3 fouling. 300 mgL-1 CaCO3 supersaturated solution was prepared and used for the foulant deposition and analysis. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was used for the investigation of CaCO3 depositions on the heat exchanger surface, its surface morphology, and comparison with the crystal growth and morphology with the inhabitation effect on fouling. The results revealed that the CaCO3 crystal formation can be considerably retarded using mixture coating layer as a fouling mitigation approach.