Thermal Management Strategies for Safer Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Drawing on the superior energy density and endurance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), these systems are regarded as essential for electric vehicle and massive energy storage. However, if heat generation within the battery cannot be efficiently dissipated, it can trigger thermal runaway incidents. Therefore, the establishment of strong thermal management framework is still very important. Three major battery cooling technologies are assessed in this paper: air cooling, liquid cooling, and phase-change materials (PCM) and in four categories: thermal transfer capacity, thermal homogeneity, structural intricacy and cost, and deployment scope (including automotive applications and industrial storage applications). Simple and inexpensive, air cooling is not adequate for the high heat removal requirements of liquid cooling, but is used for low power systems and for cost conscious environments. Liquid cooling represents a cooling strategy with high efficiency and superior thermal equilibrium, capable of fulfilling demands for high-power battery assemblies; however, such systems are technically intricate and present a risk of leakage. PCM offers minimal thermal conductivity and thermal saturation challenges, yet it can effectively mitigate temperature spikes as supplementary measures. Each cooling mechanism is not universally optimal for all battery types; selection depends on the battery's power or energy density, environmental conditions, and budgetary constraints. Prospective integrated thermal management architectures combining various cooling methods are expected to achieve a harmony between heat dissipation potential, thermal uniformity and financial feasibility.