Battery Thermal Management System Based on High Power Density Digital Microfluidic Magnetocaloric Cooling - Cool BatMan
The aim of the Cool BatMan project was to establish a fundamental understanding of the dynamic thermal behavior of two physical phenomena coupled within a compact magnetocaloric cooling device. A magnetocaloric material (and the associated magnetocaloric effect) was combined with the phenomenon of electrowetting-on-dielectric (digital microfluidics), resulting in a unique magnetocaloric cooling concept that could in the future serve as a BTMS for batteries in e-mobility. During the Cool BatMan project, we developed expertise in microfabrication technologies, new characterization methods, observations of new physical phenomena and digital microfluidics (EWOD). Although digital microfluidics is well established in biochemistry and pharmaceutical applications, within this project we identified its strong potential for use in entirely different technological and scientific domains—particularly in thermal management at the mini- and microscale. The project results led to publications of 6 papers in peer-reviewed journals, among which one in Nature Communications and one in Advanced Material Interfaces. Furthermore, 30 conferences presentations were held throughout the project duration, out of which 7 were invited lectures. To summarize the most notable results of the Cool BatMan project: a) Development and investigations of thermodynamics of a novel EWOD thermal switch-capacitor coupled with MC material, b) Establishing a quality microfabrication procedure and know-how for EWOD applications, c) Establishing new characterization methods for preparation of high-emissivity black coating for infrared thermal measurements, d) First experimental investigation of demagnetizing field-induced magnetocaloric effect in gadolinium, e) Investigations of caloric effects in spin-crossover polymer composite films, f) Direct observation of magnetocaloric and electrocaloric responses on room-temperature multicaloric composite films, g) Investigations of structural and electrical properties of Al2O3/Al dielectric composites prepared by aerosol-deposition, h) Developments of novel electro-permanent magnetic field sources and a controller for magnetic energy recovery.
