Enhanced thermal management of lithium-ion pouch cells via hybrid approach of phase change material-liquid cooling

Effective thermal management is crucial for safe, high-performance operation of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles (EVs). However, conventional passive or active cooling methods alone struggle to provide sufficient heat dissipation while maintaining uniform battery temperatures. This computational study investigates a hybrid thermal management system combining lateral phase change material (PCM) layers for temperature stabilization with vertical liquid cooling channels. The system was evaluated for a lithium-ion pouch cell module with PCM thicknesses ranging from 1 to 7 mm (melting point 26 °C) and a 0.5 mm liquid coolant channel using Novec-774 at 15–20 °C inlet and 90 lpm flow rate. Key findings reveal the 7 mm PCM achieved superior thermal regulation, constraining mean/maximum cell temperatures to 32.5 °C/39.1 °C compared to 113.8 °C/188.1 °C for the ineffective 1 mm case. Lower coolant inlet temperatures further enhance the performance, with a 5 °C inlet yielding 24.6 °C/29.2 °C mean/max, versus 26.0 °C/29.8 °C at 15 °C inlet. The hybrid passive-active approach combines lateral heat absorption via PCM with vertical forced convection cooling to effectively regulate battery temperatures. The proposed approach achieves superior cooling with up to 73 % reduction in maximum temperature compared to conventional liquid cooling, while maintaining temperature uniformity within 5 °C across the battery module. • Hybrid PCM-liquid cooling significantly improves cell temperature control and uniformity. • 7-mm PCM reduces max cell temperature by 149 °C compared to 1-mm PCM configuration. • 5 °C coolant inlet achieves optimal cell temperatures of 24.6 °C (mean) and 29.2 °C (max). • Hybrid cooling reduces max temperature by 73 % versus the conventional cooling method.