Selecting the Physics Models and Material Properties

For this unsteady electro-thermal battery simulation, you use the Battery model in conjunction with the Circuit model for the solid battery. You define the battery components—cell, plate, tabs, and busbars—as a multi-part solid. The coolant is defined as a constant density liquid.

To select the physics models:

  1. Create a new physics continuum and rename the Continua > Physics 1 node to Battery.
  2. For the physics continuum, Battery, select the following models in order:
    Group Box Model
    Space Three Dimensional
    Time Implicit Unsteady
    Material Multi-Component Solid
    Multi-Component Solid Multi-Part Solid
    Optional Models Battery
    Circuit Model (selected automatically)
    Energy Segregated Solid Energy
    Gradients (selected automatically)
    Equation of State Constant Density
    Optional Models Solution Interpolation
  3. Click Close.
  4. Specify the material properties for the battery components:
    1. Expand the Continua > Battery > Models > Multi-Part Solid node.
    2. Right-click the Solids node and choose Select Mixture Components.
    3. In the Select Mixture Components dialog, expand the Material Databases > Standard > Solids node and select Ag (Silver), Al (Aluminum (pure)) and Cu (Copper).
    4. Click Apply, then Close.
    5. Select the Ag node and rename it to Cells.
    6. Edit the Cells > Material Properties node and set the following properties:
      Node Property Setting
      Density > Constant Value 2000 kg/m^3
      Specific Heat > Constant Value 1200 J/kg-K
      Thermal Conductivity Method Orthotropic
      Orthotropic > k11 > Constant Value 1.2 W/m-K
      Orthotropic > k22 > Constant Value 28 W/m-K
      Orthotropic > k33 > Constant Value 28 W/m-K
  5. Create a new physics continuum and rename it Coolant.
  6. For the physics continuum, Coolant, select the following models in order:
    Group Box Model
    Space Three Dimensional
    Material Liquid
    Flow Segregated Flow
    Gradients (selected automatically)
    Equation of State Constant Density
    Time Implicit Unsteady
    Viscous Regime Turbulent
    Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (selected automatically)
    Reynolds-Averaged Turbulence K-Epsilon Turbulence
    Realizable K-Epsilon Two-Layer (selected automatically)
    Wall Distance (selected automatically)
    Two-Layer All y+ Wall Treatment (selected automatically)
    Optional Models Segregated Fluid Temperature
    Solution Interpolation
  7. Click Close.
  8. Specify the material properties for the coolant:
    1. Expand the Continua > Coolant > Models > Liquid > H2O node.
    2. Edit the Material Properties node and set the following properties:
      Node Property Setting
      Density > Constant Value 1050 kg/m^3
      Dynamic Viscosity > Constant Value 0.0015 Pa-s
      Specific Heat > Constant Value 3500 J/kg-K
      Thermal Conductivity > Constant Value 0.4 W/m-K
  9. Save the simulation.