TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION OF LIQUID COOLING PLATES FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERY PACKS

Topology optimization design of cooling plate flow channels is a potential approach to enhance the performance of battery thermal management systems. This article illustrates a comprehensive literature review on topology optimization design of battery liquid-cooled plates in six key aspects. Furthermore, a case study is conducted to address the topology optimization problem of battery cooling plates. This paper employs topology optimization methods to design two novel cold plates: the single inlet and multiple inlet topology cooling plates [(TCP-S) and (TCP-M), respectively]. A numerical analysis is conducted to compare their performance to that of a conventional rectangular cold plate (RCP) while also investigating the influence of inlet flow rate on the cooling plate's heat dissipation capabilities. The results reveal that, at the same inlet flow rate, both TCP-S and TCP-M exhibit lower maximum temperatures and pressure drops compared to RCP. Moreover, the temperature distribution across the TCPs is more uniform, indicating superior cooling efficiency and uniformity. Finally, based on an extensive review and analysis of existing literature, coupled with the findings from case studies, recommendations are proposed for future research. Given that all the covered literature employs gradient-based density-based topology optimization methods, which may lead to issues like long computation times and non-convergence, it is suggested that future research should concentrate on addressing time-related problems and exploring non-gradient methods.