Parametric investigation to optimize the thermal management of pouch type lithium-ion batteries with mini-channel cold plates

The thermal management for the pouch type li-ion battery module holds a pivotal role in preventing the electric and hybrid electric vehicles from thermal runaway or cold-start during on-road or fast charging conditions by improving the battery lifecycle and reliability. In this paper, a straight mini-channel based cold plate is sandwiched between two consecutive batteries to form a battery module, and the coolant is allowed to pass through it. A three-dimensional conjugate heat transfer model is deployed to solve the electrochemical-thermal reaction using commercially available software for a wide variety of design and operating conditions such as mini-channel width, number of channels, coolant type, liquid flow rate, coolant temperature, ambient temperature, and discharge rate. Results indicate that a cold plate containing an even number of channels showcases a higher pressure drop than the odd number of channels due to the flow resistance. With the increase of coolant flow rate, the average temperature of the battery module reduces at the expense of a more considerable pressure drop and increased power consumption. Thermally and statistically, a cold plate comprising 5 number of mini-channels each of width 6 mm, and water as the coolant at an entry temperature of 25 degrees C with the mass flow rate of 3 x 10(-3) kg. s(-1) is found ideal for maintaining the temperature of the 20 Ah pouch type LiFePO4 battery module within a desirable range of 25 degrees C-40 degrees C for any climatic conditions. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the thermal management of pouch type li-ion battery module, proposing the use of cold plate and micro-channels to control temperature. Through experimental and simulation data, the optimal design parameters are determined to maintain battery temperature within an ideal range under different climatic conditions.