TY  - EJOU
AU  - Costa, Michela 
AU  - Palombo, Adolfo 
AU  - Ricci, Andrea 
AU  - Sorge, Ugo 

TI  - Thermal Behavior of a LFP Battery for Residential Applications: Development of a Multi-Physical Numerical Model
T2  - Energy Engineering

PY  - 2025
VL  - 122
IS  - 5
SN  - 1546-0118

AB  - Effective thermal management is paramount for successfully deploying lithium-ion batteries in residential settings as storage systems for the exploitation of renewable sources. Uncontrolled temperature increases within battery packs can lead to critical issues such as cell overheating, potentially culminating in thermal runaway events and, in extreme cases, leading to fire or explosions. This work presents a comprehensive numerical thermal model of a battery pack made of prototype pouch cells based on lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) chemistry. The multi-physical model is specifically developed to investigate real-world operating scenarios and to assess safety considerations. The considered energy storage system is a battery designed for residential applications, in its integration with a photovoltaic (PV) installation. The actual electrochemical behavior of the prototype cell during the charging and discharging processes is modeled and validated on the ground of experimental data. The essential steps leading to the numerical schematization of the battery pack are then presented to apply the model to two different use scenarios, differing for the user loads. The first scenario corresponds to a typical residential load, with standby lights being active during the night, solar generation with its peak at noon, and appliance use shifting in the afternoon and the evening. In the second scenario, a double demand for energy is present that makes the battery never reach 100% of the State of Charge (SoC) and discharge more rapidly with respect to what occurs under the first scenario. Comparing the simulated temperature with the assumed C-rate, namely the charge or discharge current divided by the battery nominal capacity, it is found that peaks coincide with the charging phase; subsequently, the current tends to a zero value, and consequently, the temperature suddenly reaches the value of the environment. Finally, the model is also utilized to simulate a condition of thermal runaway by introducing critical conditions within a specific pouch cell. In this simulation, the thermal exchange between the cell in thermal runaway and the rest of the system remains within acceptable limits. This occurs due to the short duration of the process and to the module casing coated with an insulating material. The work provides an essential foundation for conducting numerical simulations of battery packs operating also at higher power levels.
KW  - Lithium iron phosphate; battery thermal management; residential storage; PV installation

DO  - 10.32604/ee.2025.062613