A comprehensive thermal analysis for the fast discharging process of a Li-ion battery module with liquid cooling

Appropriate temperature range and distribution is necessary for Li-ion battery module, especially in real application of electric vehicles and other energy storage devices. In this study, a comprehensive design of liquid cooling-based thermal management system for a Li-ion battery module's fast discharging process is investigated, and thermal analysis and numerical computation are conducted. The effects of different flow directions, different shapes of the liquid channels, different widths of channels, different thicknesses of cold plate, and the comparison between uniform and nonuniform channels' distribution are analyzed. Simulation results indicate that the liquid cooling system provides acceptable cooling performance in preventing heat runaway of the battery module under 5C discharging current rate. A five-channel cooling plate can reduce the maximum temperature with appropriate design. Additionally, specific flow direction mini-channels, different shapes of the liquid-channels, and nonuniform channels are designed to compare the maximum temperature and uniformity of temperature distribution in the module. Maximum temperature can be improved through the increase of channel width and thickness of the cooling plate. The original design is proved to be the best design considering the maximum temperature, maximum temperature deviation, and final temperature standard deviation of the fast discharging process.