IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i19p5287-d1765723.html

Heat, Cold and Power Supply with Thermal Energy Storage in Battery Electric Vehicles: A Holistic Evaluated Concept with High Storage Density, Performance and Scalability

Author

Listed:
  • Volker Dreißigacker

    (Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics, German Aerospace Center, Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569Stuttgart, Germany)

Abstract

The successful establishment of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is strongly linked to criteria such as cost and range. In particular, the need for air conditioning strains battery capacities and limits the availability of BEVs. Thermal energy storage systems (TESs) open up alternative paths for heat and cold supply with excellent scalability and cost efficiency. Previous TES concepts have largely focused on heat during cold seasons, but storage-based air conditioning systems for all seasons are still missing. To fill this gap, a concept based on a Brayton cycle allowing heat and cold supply and, simultaneously, an output of electrical energy at times when no air conditioning is needed was investigated. Central thermal components include water-based cold storage and electrically heated, high-temperature, solid-medium storage, both with innovative TPMS structures and flexible operation managements. With transient simulation studies a system was identified with effective storage densities of up to 100 Wh/kg, reaching a constant heat and cold supply of 5 kW and 2.5 kW, respectively, over 41 min. In addition, the underlying cycle allows an electrical output of up to 1.7 kW during times of inactive air conditioning requirements. Compared to a reference system designed only for winter operation, the moderately lower storage densities are compensated by proportionately longer discharging times. By combining a compact and dynamic Brayton cycle with a TES in BEVs, a storage-based air conditioning system with high utilization potential and high operational flexibility was developed. In addition to further optimizations, the knowledge for TES solutions can also be transferred to today’s air conditioning systems, extending the solution space for storage-supported thermomanagement options in BEVs.

Suggested Citation

  • Volker Dreißigacker, 2025. "Heat, Cold and Power Supply with Thermal Energy Storage in Battery Electric Vehicles: A Holistic Evaluated Concept with High Storage Density, Performance and Scalability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-18, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:19:p:5287-:d:1765723
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/19/5287/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/19/5287/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fleming, Evan & Wen, Shaoyi & Shi, Li & da Silva, Alexandre K., 2013. "Thermodynamic model of a thermal storage air conditioning system with dynamic behavior," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 160-169.
    2. Volker Dreißigacker & Andrea Gutierrez, 2024. "Latent Thermal Energy Storage for Cooling Demands in Battery Electric Vehicles: Development of a Dimensionless Model for the Identification of Effective Heat-Transferring Structures," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Wimmer, Alexander & Kordel, Markus & Linder, Marc & Bürger, Inga, 2025. "High performance reactor of a metal hydride based cooling system for air-conditioning of fuel cell electric vehicles," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 391(C).
    4. Narayanan, Shankar & Li, Xiansen & Yang, Sungwoo & Kim, Hyunho & Umans, Ari & McKay, Ian S. & Wang, Evelyn N., 2015. "Thermal battery for portable climate control," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 104-116.
    5. Werner Kraft & Veronika Stahl & Peter Vetter, 2020. "Thermal Storage Using Metallic Phase Change Materials for Bus Heating—State of the Art of Electric Buses and Requirements for the Storage System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-21, June.
    6. Li, Chuanchang & Peng, Meicheng & Xie, Baoshan & Li, Yaxi & Li, Mu, 2024. "Novel phase change cold energy storage materials for refrigerated transportation of fruits," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    7. Claudio Zilio & Giulia Righetti & Dario Guarda & Francesca Martelletto & Simone Mancin, 2025. "A Comparative Experimental Analysis of a Cold Latent Thermal Storage System Coupled with a Heat Pump/Air Conditioning Unit," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-15, July.
    8. Philipp Knödler & Volker Dreissigacker, 2024. "Fluid Dynamic Assessment and Development of Nusselt Correlations for Fischer Koch S Structures," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-15, January.
    9. Kirttayoth Yeranee & Yu Rao, 2022. "A Review of Recent Investigations on Flow and Heat Transfer Enhancement in Cooling Channels Embedded with Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-29, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xie, Peng & Jin, Lu & Qiao, Geng & Lin, Cheng & Barreneche, Camila & Ding, Yulong, 2022. "Thermal energy storage for electric vehicles at low temperatures: Concepts, systems, devices and materials," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    2. Volker Dreißigacker & Andrea Gutierrez, 2024. "Latent Thermal Energy Storage for Cooling Demands in Battery Electric Vehicles: Development of a Dimensionless Model for the Identification of Effective Heat-Transferring Structures," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Nagel, Thomas & Beckert, Steffen & Lehmann, Christoph & Gläser, Roger & Kolditz, Olaf, 2016. "Multi-physical continuum models of thermochemical heat storage and transformation in porous media and powder beds—A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 323-345.
    4. Wu, Jing & Tremeac, Brice & Terrier, Marie-France & Charni, Mehdi & Gagnière, Emilie & Couenne, Françoise & Hamroun, Boussad & Jallut, Christian, 2016. "Experimental investigation of the dynamic behavior of a large-scale refrigeration – PCM energy storage system. Validation of a complete model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 116(P1), pages 32-42.
    5. Claudio Zilio & Giulia Righetti & Dario Guarda & Francesca Martelletto & Simone Mancin, 2025. "A Comparative Experimental Analysis of a Cold Latent Thermal Storage System Coupled with a Heat Pump/Air Conditioning Unit," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-15, July.
    6. Farah, Sleiman & Liu, Ming & Saman, Wasim, 2019. "Numerical investigation of phase change material thermal storage for space cooling," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(C), pages 526-535.
    7. Guchhait, Rekha & Sarkar, Biswajit, 2025. "Economic evaluation of an outsourced fourth-party logistics (4PL) under a flexible production system," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    8. Wang, Jinghan & Chen, Kai & Zeng, Min & Ma, Ting & Wang, Qiuwang & Cheng, Zhilong, 2023. "Assessment of flow and heat transfer of triply periodic minimal surface based heat exchangers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    9. Gordeeva, L.G. & Aristov, Yu.I., 2019. "Adsorptive heat storage and amplification: New cycles and adsorbents," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 440-453.
    10. Li, Xinyi & Ma, Ting & Liu, Jun & Zhang, Hao & Wang, Qiuwang, 2018. "Pore-scale investigation of gravity effects on phase change heat transfer characteristics using lattice Boltzmann method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 92-103.
    11. Yan, Xinrui & Xie, Baoshan & Leng, Guanghui & Geng, Xuewen & Li, Chuanchang, 2025. "Emerging cold energy storage sol for soft freezing of fresh produce in cold chain transportation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 325(C).
    12. Xu, J.X. & Li, T.X. & Chao, J.W. & Yan, T.S. & Wang, R.Z., 2019. "High energy-density multi-form thermochemical energy storage based on multi-step sorption processes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 1131-1142.
    13. Kirttayoth Yeranee & Yu Rao, 2025. "A Review of Recent Research on Flow and Heat Transfer Analysis in Additively Manufactured Transpiration Cooling for Gas Turbines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-42, June.
    14. Zhao, Weiwei & Zhang, Tongtong & Kildahl, Harriet & Ding, Yulong, 2022. "Mobile energy recovery and storage: Multiple energy-powered EVs and refuelling stations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    15. Scarpati, G. & Di Ilio, G. & Jannelli, E., 2026. "Design and analysis of an energy-efficient, large scale metal hydride hydrogen storage system using an extended multi-physics numerical model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 409(C).
    16. Kristián Čulík & Vladimíra Štefancová & Karol Hrudkay & Ján Morgoš, 2021. "Interior Heating and Its Influence on Electric Bus Consumption," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-19, December.
    17. Xu, Z.Y. & Wang, R.Z., 2017. "A sorption thermal storage system with large concentration glide," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 380-388.
    18. Yan, Xinrui & Xie, Baoshan & Li, Chuanchang, 2026. "Phase change materials for aerospace," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 226(PA).
    19. Cherp, Aleh & Vinichenko, Vadim & Jewell, Jessica & Suzuki, Masahiro & Antal, Miklós, 2017. "Comparing electricity transitions: A historical analysis of nuclear, wind and solar power in Germany and Japan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 612-628.
    20. Zeng, Ziya & Zhao, Bingchen & Chen, Weidong & Ernest Chua, Kian Jon & Wang, Ruzhu, 2023. "Strategies of stable thermal output and humidity dual control for a packed-bed adsorption thermal battery," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(PA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:19:p:5287-:d:1765723. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.