How do you develop and validate thermal models for battery pack design?

Battery thermal modeling involves: Cell-level characterization (heat generation rates at various C-rates, temperatures, and SOC), thermal property measurement (thermal conductivity, specific heat of cells and materials), pack-level CFD/FEA modeling of coolant flow and temperature distribution, electro-thermal coupling for accurate heat generation, and lumped-parameter models for real-time BMS use. Validation uses instrumented packs with thermocouples throughout, testing across drive cycles and charging scenarios, and correlation of temperature predictions to measurements (<2C target accuracy). Models enable design optimization and feed into BMS thermal protection algorithms.