Numerical simulations on hybrid thermal management of mini-channel cold plate and PCM for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

This study presents a novel hybrid thermal management system (HTMS) leveraging the mature technology of mini-channel cold plates (MCPs) and the superior thermal properties of phase change material (PCM). For single-cell scales to study their hybrid structures, it is found that the structure of 3channel and 5 mm PCM can reduce the battery temperature from 64.45 °C to 42.83 °C for a 2C discharge by 33.55 %. Furthermore, this study investigates the influence of coolant flow rate, temperature, and PCM thickness on the thermal management system. The findings indicate that HTMS can fulfill thermal management tasks that are not possible with the single-side PCM cooling system, while simultaneously saving 13 times the energy compared to the single-side MCPs cooling system to achieve the similar effect. For battery-pack scales to study their coupled structures, and the results show that the PCM alone effectively cools the battery, reducing its temperature from 55.34 °C to 42 °C at an ambient temperature of 35 °C during low-multiplication discharge. Furthermore, under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) condition, the battery pack temperature is maintained within 30 °C with a temperature difference of 0.03 °C, highlighting the exceptional performance of HTMS.