Advancements in Lithium‐Ion Battery Thermal Management Systems

ABSTRACT Improving thermal management for lithium‐ion batteries is essential for efficient, reliable, and safe energy storage in portable electronics and electric vehicles. This paper presents a comprehensive review of battery thermal management systems, focusing on numerical and experimental advancements reported from 2014 to 2026. The review analyzes 81 studies covering four strategies: air cooling, liquid cooling, phase change material (PCM)‐based cooling, and hybrid cooling. Air cooling is examined for simplicity, low cost, and low system complexity, whereas liquid cooling is reviewed for higher heat dissipation capability and improved temperature control. PCM‐based systems are evaluated as passive solutions, whereas hybrid systems that combine two or more cooling mechanisms are considered to enhance cooling capacity and respond to variable thermal loads. Across the reviewed studies, inlet temperatures ranged from 5°C to 40°C, discharge rates reached up to 7C, and maximum battery temperatures varied from 23.5°C to 60°C, indicating that battery thermal management system performance depends strongly on thermal load, operating conditions, and design configuration. Each strategy is assessed on thermal performance, temperature uniformity, auxiliary energy demand, system complexity, and cost information, where available. The study highlights advancements in coolants, materials, flow configurations, channel and plate geometries, fin and internal‐structure integration, modular designs, and optimization methods, including orthogonal design, topology optimization, and single‐ or multi‐objective optimization. The findings identify key strengths and limitations, as well as design trends and research gaps, all of which inform the development of advanced battery thermal management system technologies for next‐generation electric vehicles.