Thermal management of Li-ion battery using circuitous minichannels: A computational study involving different channel configurations

Abstract

This numerical investigation examines the influence of fragmented channel placement and channel configuration in a circuitous minichannel cold plate incorporating flow fragmentation, aimed at enhancing heat transfer in an indirect liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery module. A dual-potential multi-scale, multi-domain (MSMD) modeling framework is employed to represent the battery behavior. The electrochemical processes within the battery are captured using the Newman–Tiedemann–Gu–Kim (NTGK) model, which accounts for volumetric current density distribution and the corresponding volumetric heat generation arising from electrochemical reactions. The thermal performance of various cold plate designs is assessed based on the maximum cell temperature, temperature non-uniformity across the battery, and the associated pressure drop. To enhance cooling efficiency, multiple fragmented channel configurations are analyzed. These fragmented pathways are designed to guide the coolant toward the outlet through the shortest possible flow paths, thereby minimizing pressure losses while promoting enhanced heat transfer and improved temperature uniformity through the use of dual inlets and a reversed-flow arrangement. Furthermore, the effect of fragment placement at different channel bends is investigated to identify optimal design parameters. The numerical model is validated against experimental data, and grid independence studies are performed for both the battery and cold plate domains. All simulations are conducted using the finite-volume-based commercial solver ANSYS Fluent, and the influence of various operating conditions on the proposed designs is systematically evaluated.