Exploring serpentine cold-plate designs for efficient cooling of Li-ion pouch cells: A computational analysis

Abstract

Efficient thermal management is essential for enhancing the performance of electric vehicles, particularly in optimizing battery efficiency. This study investigates the effectiveness of a cold plate for cooling a 20 Ah pouch-type LiFePO₄ battery, focusing on various operational and design parameters using numerical simulations. The critical parameters examined include battery discharge rate, coolant mass flow rate, coolant inlet temperature, coolant flow direction, and channel height. The study reveals that while increasing the coolant mass flow rate initially reduces the maximum temperature (T_max) and standard temperature deviation (T_σ), benefits diminish beyond a flow rate of 0.75 g/s, which also increases power requirements. Coolant inlet temperature does not yield substantial benefits on battery surface temperature deviation, especially when the ambient temperature falls within the battery's optimal operating range. The direction of coolant flow is crucial, with top and bottom inlet modes performing better in reducing T_max, while the cross-inlet mode is more effective in controlling T_σ compared to the other mode of the inlet. The bottom inlet mode provides the best overall performance, considering heat extraction and power requirements. Additionally, variations in channel height show minimal impact on T_max and T_σ but result in significant reductions in pressure loss (40.14 %) and system weight (3.2 %), potentially lowering operational costs and extending vehicle range. Overall, the findings highlight the trade-offs in optimizing cooling strategies and design parameters for enhanced battery performance in electric vehicles.