Battery knowledge · Thermal management and heat transfer
Thermal interface material
A soft, thermally conductive paste or pad that fills the gap between cells and the cooling plate so heat does not have to cross air. It is dispensed by the kilogram in a pack and is a surprising share of its cost.
- Abbreviation
- TIM
- Also called
- gap filler
Example
Thermal management and heat transfer: an example situation
Equal total heat in different layouts can produce different gradients. Average temperature can miss a hot spot.
Read Thermal interface material alongside Cooling plate in this context. A flat aluminium channel assembly under or between the cells through which coolant, usually a water–glycol mix, is pumped. Heat crosses from cell to plate through a thermal interface material; the plate also sets the pack’s temperature uniformity.
Use in Lemonergy
Select spatial detail for the question.
This is a reference concept. No executable Lemonergy block has been verified for this term.
References & further reading
Further reading on this topic
These sources provide broader context; they are not presented as citations for every statement in this entry.
- A General Energy Balance for Battery Systems
Dawn Bernardi, Ellen Pawlikowski, John Newman · Journal of The Electrochemical Society · 1985
Topic background · Battery energy balance and irreversible and reversible heat contributions. Reduced thermal models require explicit assumptions and current-sign conventions.
- University Physics Volume 2, §1.6: Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
OpenStax, Rice University
Topic background · Conduction, convection, radiation and thermal resistance.