Structure optimization design and performance analysis of liquid cooling plate for power battery

Abstract

The structural design of liquid cooling plates represents a significant area of research within battery thermal management systems. In this study, we aimed to analyze the cooling performance of topological structures based on theoretical calculation and simple structures based on design experience to achieve the best comprehensive performance and analyze their operating environment characteristics. The COMSOL Multiphysics software and topology optimization method were used to calculate the topology structure. To assess performance, the numerical computation method was employed to simulate and calculate the optimized structure, comparing its temperature, velocity, and pressure related parameters and changes. Moreover, the study analyzed the impact of inlet flow velocity, ambient temperature, and coolant temperature on heat dissipation performance. The results revealed a reduction of 0.31 % in the highest temperature and a 21.20 % decrease in pressure drop for the topology-based results compared to the post-processing results. However, the cooling performance advantage offered by the topology structure was not significant, the enhancement in cooling performance did not offset the increase in production cost. Furthermore, we found that variations in service conditions influence the heat dissipation performance of liquid cooling plates, requiring comprehensive consideration when selecting condition parameters.