NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF NOVEL MINI CHANNEL COOLING PLATE FOR CYLINDRICAL LITHIUM-ION BATTERY PACK

Abstract

Lithium batteries are broadly utilized in electric vehicles (EVs) and their execution is exceedingly subordinate on temperature. As a result, an efficient battery temperature management system is required to ensure the safe and efficient functioning of EVs. Battery Thermal Management System plays a vital role in keeping up the ideal temperature and temperature distinction of a lithium-ion battery pack, ensuring superior performance, prolonged cycle life, and safety. The growing demand for high-performance and reliable battery packs has necessitated the development of effective cooling systems to mitigate thermal issues and enhance battery performance and safety. The cooling plate design comprises multiple mini channels, which are responsible for extracting heat generated during battery operation. While liquid cooling has been extensively researched for prismatic cells, there has been little research on its application for round and hollow cells (cylindrical cells). Moreover, existing studies on liquid cooling for cylindrical cells primarily focus on flow rate, flow direction, and the number of channels. In this study, a numerical analysis using computational fluid dynamics was carried out on a micro channel cooling plate created for a cylindrical lithium-ion battery pack with forty (40) cells. To investigate the impact of flow velocity, Reynolds number on the conveyance of cell temperature and pressure within the system for 3C and 4C discharge rate, a three-dimensional model of the battery pack is subjected to a numerical analysis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD. The findings indicate that modifying flow directions in the mini-channels improves thermal performance. In particular, when the inlet and outlet are divaricated in each cooling plate using the innovative mini-channel design, the temperature difference can be reduced by 51.67% & 40.46% for 3C and 4C discharge rates, respectively, when compared to unidirectional flow.