Simulative Investigation of Optimal Multiparameterized Cooling Plate Topologies for Different Battery System Configurations

Abstract

To design an effective battery thermal management system, multiple simulations with different levels of modeling, physics, and details are generally needed. However, complex and high‐resolution models are time‐consuming, both in terms of buildup and in computation time. Especially the fast‐moving early‐stage development phases demand all‐in‐one model approaches allowing for quick and efficient concept evaluations. To meet these requirements, herein, a lumped‐mass modeling approach is proposed and a methodology for evaluating various liquid cooling plate topologies is derived. The framework aims to assist the volatile concept phase of battery system development in providing multidimensionally optimized cooling plate topologies. A novel modeling strategy preselects plate parameters using a reduction procedure that couples the transient models’ accuracy with the steady‐state models’ computation time advantages. The results analyze different initial battery geometries, indicating significant deviations in their optimized cooling plate properties. Plate topologies are varied between their main construction design parameters: tube size and tube‐to‐tube distance. In addition to battery's mean temperature, further meaningful parameters like resulting volume flow are evaluated, compared, and discussed for the entire set of battery geometries. Subsequent sensitivity analyses show geometry‐related optimal plate topologies depending on the cooling circuit performance, stressing the necessity for early‐stage cooling plate investigations.