Experimental Study of the Liquid Cold Plate Cooling System for Lithium-Ion Battery in Electric Vehicle

Abstract

The battery remains the primary choice of energy and power storage in electric vehicles. To optimize battery performance, manufacturers have developed various technologies, including the battery thermal management system (BTMS). In this study, an experimental investigation was conducted to determine the cooling performance and characteristics of a liquid cold plate cooling system for 18650 lithium-ion battery. The testing involved an 18650 SONY 2100 mAh lithium-ion battery and a 400 W DC Load Tester. Testing was carried out by discharging the battery module and taking data on battery temperature and working fluid temperature to get the heat transfer coefficient. The discharge current varied at 1.25 C, 1.5 C, 1.75 C, and 2 C, while the flow rate was set at 0.2 LPM, 0.5 LPM, and 0.8 LPM. The results indicate that the cooling rate increases as the flow rate rises. The battery temperature rises quicker near the negative pole than at the further location. Furthermore, the pressure drop on the liquid cold plate increases as the flow rate rises, while the highest heat transfer coefficient to pressure drop ratio is observed at 0.2 LPM.