Effect of inlet flow condition on the thermal behavior of battery pack using a wavy cooling jacket

In recent years, the automotive industry has experienced a dramatic mutation in the develop ment of electric vehicles. One of the most important aspects of this type of vehicle is its thermal management. Among the various parts of an electric vehicle that are subjected to thermal management, the battery is of particular importance. Battery cell temperatures may exceed the allowable range due to continuous and high-pressure operation and various weather conditions, and this, in addition to performance, severely affects battery life. Therefore, the appropriate cooling system is essential. In this research, the most common methods of battery cooling are investigated. First, three-dimensional thermal analysis on the battery is performed using the computational fluid dynamics method in transient and steady-state phases.  Then, the effect of changing the cooling flow rate on the maximum temperature of the battery cell as well as the temperature difference of the cells in the battery pack is investigated. The effect of changing inlet coolant temperature change on battery cell temperature distribution is also investigated. The results show that by increasing the flow rate from 0.5 to 1.2 liter per minute, the maximum temperature in the battery pack and the temperature difference between the cells decrease to 44.4 and 2.51 ° C, respectively. Also, by changing the temperature of the inlet coolant from 15 to 30 ° C, the maximum temperature in the battery pack increases up to 42.2 ° C and the temperature difference is negligible.