Comparative Review of Cooling Systems for Lithium-Ion Battery Modules with 21700 Cylindrical Cells

Abstract

The automotive sector is currently undergoing a rapid and complex transition from classic internal combustion engines to hybrid or fully electric propulsion systems, at the core of which is the battery pack. Currently, the battery packs of almost all electric vehicles on the road consist of lithium-ion cells. The thermal management of these cells represents a complex and fundamental challenge, essential not only to ensure optimal vehicle performance but also to guarantee passenger safety. Therefore, this paper examines and compares four main systems used for battery thermal management, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and overall effectiveness. First, a standard module comprising 21700 cylindrical cells, representative of automotive applications, is designed. Subsequently, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) thermal analyses of this module are performed to evaluate four different cooling methods: forced air cooling, bottom cold plate cooling, liquid tube cooling, and immersion cooling combined with tab cooling. Finally, an experimental validation is conducted by testing these systems on a physical module, which is subjected to the same electrical discharge profile simulated in the CFD analyses, to verify the effectiveness of the four considered methods.