Energy Storage Liquid Cooling Trend: Side Liquid Cooling Plate

In the dynamic realm of energy storage solutions, the integration of liquid cooling technology has emerged as a critical trend to optimize performance and efficiency. Among the array of innovations, side liquid cooling plates stand out for their remarkable potential to revolutionize cooling systems in various applications.

Application Areas

The versatility of battery liquid cooling plates extends across three primary sectors: passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and energy storage systems. Projections suggest a substantial growth trajectory, with sales of liquid cooling plates for commercial vehicles and energy storage predicted to reach 700 million yuan and 400 million yuan, respectively, by 2026. When combined with the passenger car segment, the overall market size for liquid cooling plates in China is anticipated to reach approximately 7 billion yuan by 2026.

Challenges with Bottom Cooling

Currently, the mainstream solution for energy storage/power liquid cooling on the market is to place the liquid cooling plate at the bottom of the battery core. The pain points of bottom cooling are: the thermal resistance of the battery core itself is large, but the liquid cooling/heating response is slow, and the battery core's bottom area is small, and the heat exchange area with the cold plate is small.

However, as special Tesla cylindrical battery models, CTAL Kirin batteries, and high-rate energy storage cells are charged and discharged more times, more and more car companies/energy storage companies are placing liquid cooling plates on the sides of the cells. Placing the liquid cooling plate in the middle of the battery core expands the heat exchange area many times, and cooling the battery core over a large area shortens the battery core temperature control time by half. In extreme cases, if thermal runaway occurs, the cells can cool down quickly, effectively blocking abnormal heat conduction between cells.

The right side of the picture shows the liquid cooling plate on the side

To address these limitations, innovative approaches such as placing liquid cooling plates on the sides of the cells have gained traction. By expanding the heat exchange area and enhancing cooling efficiency, side liquid cooling plates offer a compelling solution to optimize battery performance and ensure safety.

Emergence of Side Cooling

A notable advancement in liquid cooling technology is the adoption of side cooling plates. This innovative approach entails placing cooling plates along the sides of battery cells, significantly expanding the heat exchange area and enhancing cooling efficiency. By addressing temperature differentials within battery packs, side cooling plates contribute to improved safety and faster charging performance.

Advantages of Side Cooling

The benefits offered by side liquid cooling plates are manifold. By optimizing heat dissipation and facilitating rapid temperature control, side cooling plates enhance overall system performance. Moreover, they effectively mitigate temperature variations within battery packs, ensuring uniform temperature distribution and bolstering system reliability.

Technology and Process

The implementation of side liquid cooling plates requires sophisticated manufacturing processes that involve several intricate steps to ensure optimal performance and reliability. These processes encompass a range of activities, including:

· Raw Material Preparation: Sourcing high-quality raw materials such as aluminium substrates and copper tubes is crucial for achieving the desired thermal conductivity and mechanical strength.

· Stamping: Precision stamping of aluminium substrates and copper tubes ensures accurate formation of components and facilitates subsequent assembly.

· Cleaning: Thorough cleaning of components removes contaminants or residues that may compromise the integrity of the cooling plates, ensuring optimal bonding and brazing during assembly.

· Flux Coating: The application of flux coating promotes solderability and prevents oxidation during the brazing process, ensuring strong and durable bonds between components.

· Riveting and Brazing: Precision riveting and brazing techniques are employed to securely attach components and achieve uniform bonding for optimal heat transfer properties.

· Testing: Rigorous testing of assembled cooling plates verifies structural integrity and performance, ensuring compliance with quality standards and specifications.

Various production technologies are employed to manufacture side liquid cooling plates, each offering unique advantages and suitability for specific applications:

· Buried Pipe Technology: This method involves embedding copper tubes into aluminium substrates to create a sturdy and efficient heat exchange system commonly used for liquid cooling radiators.

· Profile + Welding: Utilizing pre-formed profiles and joint pipes welded together to create integrated liquid cooling radiators characterized by high production efficiency.

· Machining + Welding: Enables customization of cooling plate designs, allowing precise control over flow channel size and path, ideal for thermal management products with irregular heat source layouts.

· Die Casting + Welding: Combines die-casting processes with welding techniques to mass-produce cooling plates with consistent quality and reliability.

By leveraging these advanced manufacturing processes and production technologies, the development and deployment of side liquid cooling plates can be optimized to meet the diverse needs of various industries and applications.

Future Outlook

As technological advancements continue to drive innovation in liquid cooling technology, the future outlook for side cooling plates appears exceedingly promising. Ongoing research and development efforts, particularly in areas such as friction stir welding (FSW), are expected to enhance heat dissipation efficiency and production reliability further. With the escalating demand for energy storage solutions, side cooling plates are poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the industry's future landscape.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the adoption of side liquid cooling plates represents a significant stride forward in energy storage technology. By overcoming the limitations of traditional cooling methods and delivering enhanced performance and efficiency, side cooling plates are poised to redefine the energy storage industry. As manufacturers endeavour to meet the burgeoning demand for efficient and reliable energy storage solutions, the evolution of side cooling plates will continue to drive innovation and propel the industry towards a sustainable future.

Winshare Thermal has always focused on the field of heat dissipation and is committed to providing customers with thermal design solutions. At present, our company's various heat sink production technologies are becoming mature, and we are also constantly improving our manufacturing processes. In particular, our company's friction stir welding(FSW) process for water-cooled plates has attracted many customers to come to the site to observe. We will definitely work harder and reach higher levels in the future!