Hydraulic and thermal performance enhancement for the cold plate using topology optimization

Abstract

Liquid-based battery thermal management system (BTMS) is designed to ensure the narrow operating temperature range for the desired performance of Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which ensures the reliable operation of electric vehicles (EVs). Among these, GM Volt design circulates the coolant in a multiple serpentine channeled cold plate, whereas the long flow path makes easily thermal saturation as well as higher pressure drop that requires more pumping power for coolant circulation. We present a cold plate that provides enhanced cooling capacity with reduced pressure drop by multi-constraint topologically optimized design. A series of thermal-fluidic numerical validations inclusive of surface temperatures on substrate of cold plate at the fixed pumping power. Compared to the conventional multiple serpentine channels, the pressure drop Δp decreases dramatically by 90 % at the same mass flowrate, and maximum temperature difference ΔTmax decreases by 60.8 % at the fixed pumping power, respectively. The optimized design exhibited a significant improvement in 2- or 3-times higher j/f factor at the same Reynolds number.