Liquid Cooling System Based on Nested Serpentine Channels and Its Application in Energy Storage Battery Thermal Management

Abstract

With the rapid development of high-power and high-density electrochemical energy storage stations, conventional liquid cooling plates (LCPs) with serpentine channels suffer from long flow paths, large temperature differences, high flow resistance, and excessive energy consumption, which severely restrict the safety, efficiency, and cycle life of lithium iron phosphate batteries. Herein, we propose a nested dual-inlet-dual-outlet serpentine channel LCP (NSLCP). The new structure shortens the single-path flow length of coolant, improves flow distribution uniformity, and eliminates excessive coolant temperature rise along the flow path. Thus, the heat dissipation efficiency, temperature uniformity, and system energy consumption are greatly enhanced. Results show that the thermal management system achieves significantly better overall performance with a channel width of 8 mm and a coolant mass flow rate of 2 g·s⁻¹, compared with conventional structures. In the full operating range of 25–45 °C ambient temperatures and 0.5–2 C discharge rates, the maximum temperature and temperature difference of the battery module are controlled below 28 and 2 °C, respectively. The proposed LCP provides an innovative and practical solution for high-performance thermal management systems in large-scale energy storage stations.