Improving the performance of a lithium-ion battery connected to a solar system using a nano-refrigerant in an ejector refrigeration cycle

Abstract This paper investigates the ejector (EJC) refrigeration (ReF) cycle in a lithium-ion battery cooling system. Numerical modeling of the EJC and design of the battery cooling system are analyzed simultaneously. One of the primary goals of this investigation is to investigate the influence of nanofluid on cycle performance. The CFD modeling studies are performed on the EJC to determine the hydrodynamic properties. The CFD model also provides a basis for estimating the operational effects on EJC performance. Simulations are also performed to cool the battery. In this study, first, the simulations are done using the Eulerian model and the results are validated with experimental data. Then, the general ReF cycle in a battery cooling system is investigated. The results obtained from the EJC are employed as the initial input data for the battery in the simulations using the finite volume method (FVM). The results performed show that the use of nanoparticles in pure refrigerant (RFT) enhances the viscosity and pressure drop, reducing the EJC suction and consequently reducing the flow rate. Also, the use of nano-RFTs in the ReF cycle enhances the performance of the battery cooling cycle. At high battery temperatures, the impact of adding nanoparticles is greatly reduced. The results also demonstrate that the addition of nanoparticles improves the performance of the lithium-ion battery. The EJC COP is enhanced by 22.83% by increasing the volume percentage of nanoparticles when the evaporator temperature is 10. This increment is equal to 18.23% when the evaporator temperature is 0.