CFD-Based Performance Evaluation of Microchannel Cooling for Electric Vehicle Battery Packs

This study presents a computational analysis of a microchannel-based liquid cooling system for cylindrical lithium-ion battery packs in electric vehicles (EVs), using ANSYS Fluent. The investigation compares water and ethylene glycol as coolants under high-load conditions, with simulations focusing on temperature distribution, wall heat flux, flow velocity, and pressure drop. Ethylene glycol achieved better thermal performance with a 42°C temperature drop and peak wall heat flux of 0.5518 W/m² but suffered from a high pressure drop (~1557.2 Pa) due to its higher viscosity. Water provided a more balanced solution, offering a 28°C temperature drop, lower pressure loss (~741.4 Pa), and superior flow uniformity, making it more practical for standard EV applications. The study underscores the trade-off between cooling efficiency and hydraulic resistance and recommends future research involving nanofluids, transient simulations, and AI-driven thermal management strategies to further enhance BTMS performance.