How could I control the thermal coupling between two elements (e.g. two battery cell)?

Hello everyone,

I would like to control thermal connection between two or more battery cells acc. to input about the coupled cells in parallel and series?

Is there some switch function block for thermal connection? Or are there other possibilities?

Thank you for your answer in advance.

BR

Mustafa

Answer 1

[Javier Gazzarri]

Dear Mustafa,

Thank you for your question.

Simscape Electrical has a battery cell block which has the option of turning on the thermal behavior, and you can then right-click on the block, select Block Options, and enable the thermal port. This port is a thermal connection that you can use to thermally link the battery cell to its environment via conduction, convection, and radiation.

Please let me know if this helps.

Javier

Answer 2

[Mustafa Uslu]

Dear Javier,

first thank you for your answer and wish you happy new year.

I am creating some modular battery simulation tool with suitable App designer functionallty now, it should be allowed,

that you have the possibility to choice which configuration the battery should be simulated.

It means you give for example 4s4p interconnection in the GUI Interface, then it would be simulated acc. to input of user.

It is electrical possible to build some modulare model thourgh switch functionallty, but I have not been able to thermally couple this modularity regarding each possible interconnection.

I have already my own cell model (ECM with 2-RC elements), it means I don't use any Simulink/Simscape Cell Model from Library.

I hope I coud explain my issue.

For further Question please let me know.

Thanks a lot for your support.

BR

Mustafa

Answer 3

[Javier Gazzarri]

Dear Mustafa,

Thank you for your good wishes.

What you are trying to do is possible, but using Simscape makes it much easier because it works with acausal physical networks instead of signals. This means that you assemble your model as if you were drawing a schematic of the system. Doing it using only Simulink requires the implementation of the physical equations in mathematical form and also establishing their interactions.

The way to programmatically construct a model with a user-defined number of elements (battery cells in this case) is to use the MATLAB functions add_block and add_line. These functions bring library blocks onto the canvas and connect them, respectively. This is applicable to any Simulink component, including Simscape.

Please see the attachment I created as a simple example.

Please let me know if you have any further question.

Best wishes,

Javier Gazzarri

Answer 4

[Mustafa Uslu]

Dear Javier,

thank you a lot of your support.

I usually build my simulation model also with Simscape.

My generally question is, is there any switch block or other library element for the thermal coupling.

Please see the attachement how I built up my simscape model.

I hope I could explain my issue correctly. Sorry for that, if I coudn't describe my issue.

I am looking forward to your answer.

Thanks and BR

Mustafa

Answer 5

[Javier Gazzarri]

Dear Mustafa,

Thank you for your clarification.

If you need to switch heat transfer on and off in a thermal circuit you can use a variable thermal resistance from the Simscape Foundation Library and assign a very large resistance when you need to open the circuit. This block was introduced in 17b.

Please let me know if this solves your problem.

Best regards,

Javier Gazzarri

Answer 6

[Mustafa Uslu]

Dear Javier,

thank you for your suggestion.

I will try with this block and give you feedback.

I asume that it will be solved/helped my issue.

Thank you very much.

Best regards,

Mustafa Uslu

Answer 7

[Mustafa Uslu]

Dear Javier,

thank you again for your suggestion with a variable thermal resistance. It could work.

Only the question is if two batteries thermal not connected, despite the greater resistance, the heat flow is never zero.

Can you somehow make it even more elegant and reach absolute zero?

Thanks and BR

Mustafa