The Journal of Engine Research

The Journal of Engine Research

Simulation and performance analysis of a high-energy-density lithium–sulfur battery under cold start and standard european driving cycle conditions in an electric vehicle

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Arshia Naseh
Arash Mohammadi
Karim Maghsoudi Mehrban
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/er.2025.2059766.1092
Abstract
Lithium-sulfur batteries have attracted significant attention as a promising option in the energy storage industry, particularly for electric vehicles, due to their high energy density, low weight and low production cost. one of the main challenges faced by batteries used in electric vehicles is their performance during cold start condition which involve low temperatures and high output current simultaneously. Additionally, in order to evaluate battery performance under real driving condition-consisting of repeated cycles of acceleration, braking and constant speed- the use of the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) can be useful. In this study, a 3.4 Ah lithium–sulfur battery was numerically simulated using the NTGK model within the ANSYS Fluent software. The purpose of the study is to investigate the thermal and electrochemical behavior of the battery simultaneously and to utilize the results for the design of a battery management system. The NTGK model requires fewer input parameters compared to other models and demonstrates acceptable accuracy in predicting battery behavior. Model validation was performed by comparing voltage versus discharge capacity curves at discharge rates of 0.2C, 0.5C, and 1.5C, with maximum deviations of 11.1%, 6.48%, and 3.07%, respectively. The corresponding temperature rises at these rates were 0.4, 2.2, and 8 K. In the cold start test, the maximum instantaneous voltage drop was 0.76 V, and the highest temperature increase was only 0.6 K. Moreover, after applying ten NEDC cycles, the remaining state of charge (SOC) of the battery was 51%, which is significantly higher compared to two other lithium-ion batteries with final SOCs of 13.3% and 28.5%. The minimum instantaneous voltage drop observed in this test for the lithium–sulfur battery was 0.67 V, whereas it was 0.9 V and 1.2 V for the other batteries. These results confirm the stable performance and favorable thermal behavior of the lithium–sulfur battery under realistic operating conditions.
Keywords
Lithium-Sulfur Battery
High Energy Density
NTGK Model
Cold Start
NEDC
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  • Receive Date 01 June 2025
  • Revise Date 20 September 2025
  • Accept Date 04 November 2025