Temperature Estimation and Thermal Runaway Detection in a Novel Battery Module Arrangement Incorporating a Reduced Number of Sensors

Large battery packs are fundamental in transport electrification. Due to the safety-critical nature of these applications, continuous temperature monitoring is required. In addition, the rapid detection of hazardous events such as Thermal Runaway (TR) is desirable. In this work, a novel battery module arrangement, incorporating an aluminium sheet, is proposed. This novel configuration results in an homogeneous temperature distribution across the battery module. The conceptual design enables to estimate the surface and core cell temperatures, also providing fast detection of TR events with a reduced temperature sensor count. Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations are provided, showing the feasibility of the proposal.