Paraffin/Bamboo Carbon Composites for Electrical Vehicle Battery Thermal Management

This study aims to develop a paraffin-based phase change material (PCM) modified with bamboo waste carbon (BWC). The modification is intended to enhance the performance of a passive battery thermal management system for electric vehicles. PCM composites containing 0, 5, 10, and 15 wt.% BWC are prepared and characterized using simultaneous thermal analysis, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The thermal performance of the composites is evaluated through battery module cooling simulations under a constant discharge load. The simulations assess the ability of the PCM composites to maintain battery operating temperatures within a safe range (293.15–313.15 K). The results indicate that the composite containing 10 wt.% BWC achieves optimal performance, with a 33.9% increase in thermal energy absorption. The peak battery temperature is reduced to 309.03 K. These findings demonstrate BWC’s potential as an effective and sustainable thermal additive for paraffin-based PCMs in passive BTMS applications for electric vehicles.