UMEV-25 | Sandbox

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EV battery thermal management is critical for the performance and life of Li-ion batteries, but pack level testing is expensive and hazardous. Students on this team will develop a lab-scale hardware in the loop testbench (to be used as a teaching tool) to help safely bridge the gap between cell level tests and pack level system performance evaluation. Abstract: The goals of the University of Michigan’s new Electric Vehicle Center (EVC) are to educate, innovate, and engage to accelerate the future of electric mobility. The EVC’s strategic pillar on education is dedicated to delivering cutting-edge electric vehicle technology training, preparing the next generation for a career in electric mobility. They are creating EV infused content, including modules, problem sets, and laboratory exercises for existing undergraduate courses in Mechanical, Chemical and Electrical Engineering. EV lithium-ion batteries are required to be powerful, reliable, and safe. To do this, engineers must understand and control operating parameters such as temperature, pressure, and flow. Students on the U-M EVC team will design and build a device for testing a single li-ion battery cell for use in laboratory classes in the College of Engineering. This test data will also be used to develop a pack level battery thermal emulation device (hardware in the loop test bench) for studying the performance of battery heating and cooling systems at the vehicle level.

Impact: The design and manufacturing of a battery thermal management testbed will allow students to develop hands on experience in the design and development of EV battery packs, including their thermal management systems. The proposed project will develop a hardware in the loop (HIL) test stand that would be used to scale the test results from a single battery cell to emulate the battery pack thermal response. Measurement of the heat flux from a single battery cell under different operating temperatures will be measured and used as the input to parameterize a model. This model can then be used in a pack level HIL emulator for evaluating the cooling system performance, without the need to test a high voltage (HV) battery pack. This reduces the risk of damage to equipment, or hazards such as exposure to high voltage, that could be encountered when testing the full HV battery pack. Scope: Minimum Viable Product Deliverable (Minimum level of success)

Design and prototype a Hardware in the Loop battery thermal emulator for use in University of Michigan Engineering courses that allows students to collect experimental data which can be used to parameterize a predictive model and then confirm the results. This includes:
- Comprehensive literature review and technology search of lithium-ion battery design and performance, as well as hardware and sensors required for testing
- Benchmarking of existing test systems
- Understanding of the needs of the different courses that might leverage this system
- Determining system requirements, including scale/battery size, and measurements such as temperature, heat flux, flow, and pressure
- Concept design and selection
- Prototype a functional system for controlling temperature and measuring heat flux on a single Lithium-ion battery cell
- Prototype of a functional, open loop system for emulating battery heat flux and temperature during operation to evaluate cooling system performance at the pack level

Expected Final Deliverable (Expected level of success)

Design and development of a closed loop system with controls
Development of a test use case/curriculum of the system for entry level coursework in ME395 or ME495
Evaluation of the system by multiple stakeholders, including faculty, laboratory staff, and students
Refinement of the system based on stakeholder feedback
Complete documentation, including a bill of materials and a user’s manual

Stretch Goal Opportunities: (High level of success)

Development of more advanced use cases/lessons, such as different type of battery cooling, cold-plate design, and immersion cooling as examples
Extension to multiple cell form factors, such as cylindrical, prismatic can and pouches
Enable rapid measurement of the cell entropy heating coefficient as a function of state of charge and temperature

Below are the skills needed for this project. Students with the following relevant skills and interest, regardless of major, are encouraged to apply! This is a team based multidisciplinary project. Students on the team are not expected to have experience in all areas, but should be willing to learn and will be asked to perform a breadth of tasks throughout the two semester project.

Mechanical Design (1 Student)

Specific Skills: Mechanical design, prototype development and refinement including layout of the testbed components, component attachment and design of benchtop laboratory equipment, design of the cell fixture/enclosure and holder. Likely Majors: ME, ROB, AERO, NAME

Hardware and Sensor Integration (1-2 Students)

Specific Skills: System configuration, sensor selection, and integration. Prior or concurrent coursework and/or practical experience: EECS 215: Introduction to Electrical Circuits/EECS 314: Electrical Circuits, Systems, and Applications or Applied Electrical Circuits and Systems Likely Majors: EE, ECE, CE, ROB, ME, AERO

Thermodynamics (1-2 Students)

Specific Skills: Model and design the fixture for controlling temperature and measuring cell level heat flux Cooling system design and selection of actuators, heater pumps radiator/heat exchanger for pack level emulator Likely Majors: ME, NAME, AERO

Data Acquisition/Cell Cycling (1 Student)

Specific Skills: Selection of voltage, current and temperature sensors and power supply cycling a single cell Data logging format, and user interface display with measurement and entering setpoints/ measurement routines Likely Majors: EE, CE,

Additional Desired Skills/Knowledge/Experience

If you have any of these characteristics, highlight them on your Experience and Interest Form and talk about them in your (optional) one way video interview.

Interest or experience in battery design or electric vehicles
Mechanical design, CAD design, and prototyping of test fixtures
Thermal system design, including heat pumps and energy systems
Interested in pedagogy and the development of education materials

Sponsor and Faculty Mentor

Jason Siegel

Director of Education, U-M Electric Vehicle Center

Leading the center’s education efforts, Jason Siegel is also a Research Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering. His research focuses on battery modeling, diagnostic algorithms using battery expansion measurements, and controls.

Weekly Meetings: During the Winter 2025 semester, the U-M EVC team will meet on Fridays from 1:30 – 3:30 PM on North Campus in the Automotive Lab.

Work Location: Work will take place on North Campus in Ann Arbor with build space in the Automotive Lab high bay area.

Course Substitutions: CE MDE, ChE Elective, EE MDE, CoE Honors, MECHENG 490, ROB Flex Tech, SI Elective/Cognate

Citizenship Requirements: This project is open to all students on campus. International Students: CPT declaration (curricular practical training) is NOT required for this project, because the Electric Vehicle Center is part of the University.

IP/NDA: Students will sign standard University of Michigan IP/NDA documents.

Summer Project Activities: Interested students will be guaranteed an interview for a 2025 summer internship to continue working on the project over the summer at the EVC’s hourly rate. Interviews will take place in late February of 2025.

Learn more about the expectations for this type of MDP project