Structural Optimization of Liquid-Cooled Battery Modules with Different Flow Configurations

In this paper, the thermal performance of a new liquid-cooled shell structure for battery modules is investigated by numerical simulation. The module consists of 4 × 5 cylindrical batteries and the liquid-cooled shell and multiple flow channels inside the shell for the coolant flow. The maximum temperature, maximum temperature difference, and pressure drop of the battery module were taken as the performance evaluation indexes, and the expectation function was introduced to obtain the optimal flow channel arrangement of the shell. The temperature rise of the battery in the discharge phase is significantly greater than that in the charging phase. After the battery is charged at a constant current and voltage to the charging cutoff voltage, the battery temperature starts to drop rapidly in spite of the ongoing charging at small current. As the coolant flow rate increases, the maximum temperature of the battery module decreases, but the pressure drop increases significantly, while the temperature difference remains unchanged. Experimental measurement was also conducted to verify the simulation results.