Thermal design and simulation analysis of an immersing liquid cooling system for lithium-ions battery packs in energy storage applications

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2024.0186

Abstract

Abstract:

Indirect liquid cold plate cooling technology has become the most prevalent method for thermal management in energy storage battery systems, offering significant improvements in heat transfer and temperature uniformity compared to air cooling. However, challenges such as excessive temperature gradients between the top and bottom of battery cells, high circulation resistance, and elevated power consumption in the cooling pipeline remain unresolved. In order to solve these problems, this study focuses on a novel direct immersing liquid cooling system, where the battery pack is fully submerged in a cooling liquid. Numerical simulations were conducted to evaluate the temperature distribution and flow characteristics of this immersive cooling system and compare them with a traditional cold plate system. The study further explores the effects of variables such as immersing cooling liquid flow rate, cell distance, and the number of ejection holes on the thermal performance of the immersing battery pack. The research shows that, in comparison with cold plate cooling, the direct immersion system significantly reduces both the maximum temperature and temperature gradients on the top surface of the battery pack, therefore enhancing overall cooling efficiency. At the same time, the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the battery cells significantly decreases, effectively addressing the thermal gradient issue inherent in cold plate systems. With the increase of cooling liquid flow rate and cell distance, the maximum temperature and temperature difference on the top surface of the battery pack decrease to varying degrees, albeit at a diminishing rate. While increasing the number of ejection holes decreases the maximum temperature, it also noticeably increases the temperature gradient across the pack.

Key words: energy storage battery pack, direct immersing cooling, thermal characteristics

CLC Number:

TM 912

Yuefeng LI, Weipan XU, Yintao WEI, Weida DING, Yong SUN, Feng XIANG, You LYU, Jiaxiang WU, Yan XIA. Thermal design and simulation analysis of an immersing liquid cooling system for lithium-ions battery packs in energy storage applications[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2024, 13(10): 3534-3544.

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位置	条件	数值
冷却液入口	流量入口	流量5 L/min；温度20 ℃
冷却液出口	压力出口	—

网格方案	1	2	3	4	5
网格总数/万	711	1153	1845	2427	3179
电芯均温/℃	23.28	24.53	25.75	25.73	25.79

统计对象	位置	数据类型	浸没式	冷板式	差值
电池包	顶面	最高温度	25.83	34.13	-8.30
	顶面	最大温差	1.69	2.45	-0.76
	底面	最高温度	26.01	21.52	+4.49
	底面	最大温差	1.41	1.38	+0.03

电芯	顶面+底面	最大温差	1.06	12.61	-11.55

项目	工况1(小间隙)	工况2(原标准间隙)	工况3(大间隙)
同列电芯间距	0.70D	1.40D	2.10D
异列电芯间距	0.25D	0.50D	0.75D

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