Mesh Sensitivity Analysis using CFD Simulation of Mineral Oil Cooled Cylindrical Battery Pack
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: This study conducts a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based mesh sensitivity analysis of a mineral oil cooled cylindrical lithium-ion battery pack to ensure accurate and reliable prediction of its thermal and electrical performance. A systematic three-phase mesh sensitivity analysis is conducted on a 3S3P Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) 18650 battery pack under direct mineral oil immersion cooling. Three mesh parameters are studied: global element size (12 mm to 1 mm), face mesh size on cell surfaces (6 mm to 0.5 mm), and inflation layer count (3 to 12 layers). This study recommended a mesh that integrates a 1 mm global element size, 1 mm face mesh, and seven inflation layers with a 0.3 mm first layer, producing 1,266,553 nodes and 4,052,182 elements with errors of$\varepsilon_{T_{\text {max }}}=0.008 \%$and$\varepsilon_{\Delta T}=0.381 \%$. The results indicate that pack temperature variation should be monitored in conjunction with peak temperature during mesh validation. The recommended mesh configuration thus provides a reliable baseline for future simulations of immersion cooled cylindrical battery packs.
Institution: Al Hussein Technical University
Language: English
Subfield: Automotive Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7204163952