Battery thermal management system analysis on electric vehicles

Authors

  • N. G. Ping Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Kampus Pagoh, 84600 Johor, Malaysia , Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia image/svg+xml
  • I. A. Ishak Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Kampus Pagoh, 84600 Johor, Malaysia , Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia image/svg+xml https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4822-2182
  • M. A. R. Azahar Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Kampus Pagoh, 84600 Johor, Malaysia , Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia image/svg+xml
  • M. A. S. A. Aziz Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Kampus Pagoh, 84600 Johor, Malaysia , Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia image/svg+xml
  • M. Arafat Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, 43900 Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia , University of Kuala Lumpur image/svg+xml
  • F. M. Sakri Taylor's University, School of Engineering, 1 Jalan Taylor’s, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia , Taylor's College Subang Jaya image/svg+xml
  • M. N. F. Kamal Pentamaster Corporation, Persiaran Cassia Selatan 6, Taman Perindustrian Batu Kawan, Penang, Malaysia
  • N. H. Shaharuddin Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan , Keio University image/svg+xml

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15282/jmes.20.3.2026.5.0882

Keywords:

BTMS, Lithium-ion Batteries, Temperature gradient, Computational fluid dynamics, Analytic hierarchy process, Thermal management

Abstract

Battery thermal management systems (BTMS) are crucial for managing the battery temperature in electric vehicles, and their efficiency has become a bottleneck in increasing the charging and discharging rates. This study examines the impact of cell arrangement and coolant type on BTMS performance and identifies the most suitable setup for the current module. ANSYS computational fluid dynamics software was used to simulate the immersion cooling of a battery module containing 96 units of 21700 cylindrical cells. Two cell arrangements and three coolants were simulated at inlet velocities of 0.0020, 0.0045, 0.01, 0.015, and 0.02 m s−1. The inlet velocity was maintained constant at the module inlet, and the pressure loss from the pump was not considered to simplify the study. The results indicate that the aligned module reduced the maximum module temperature and module temperature gradient by 7.91% and 24.64%, respectively. Among the coolants, water exhibited superior cooling performance, reducing the maximum temperature and temperature gradient of the module by 17.61% and 63.77%, respectively. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) reached the same decision, identifying water as the most suitable alternative for the criteria used in this study. However, water poses a significant safety risk because it can cause a short circuit in the battery when polluted with ions. The study recommends that future work include safety and coolant lifespan as additional AHP criteria and apply more detailed module geometry to achieve more practical results.

References

[1] G. Guo, B. Long, B. Cheng, S. Zhou, P. Xu, and B. Cao, “Three-dimensional thermal finite element modeling of lithium-ion battery in thermal abuse application,” Journal of Power Sources, vol. 195, no. 8, pp. 2393–2398, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2009.10.090

[2] A. A. Pesaran, S. Burch, and M. Keyser, “An Approach for Designing Thermal Management Systems for Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Packs Preprint,” 1999. [Online]. Available: http://www.doe.gov/bridge/home.html

[3] Y. Zeng, D. Chalise, S. D. Lubner, S. Kaur, and R. S. Prasher, “A review of thermal physics and management inside lithium-ion batteries for high energy density and fast charging,” Energy Storage Materials, vol. 41, pp. 264–288, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2021.06.008

[4] A. Tomaszewska, Z. Chu, X. Feng et al., “Lithium-ion battery fast charging: A review,” eTransportation, vol. 1, p. 100011, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etran.2019.100011

[5] A. and W. D. Thaler, “Automotive Engineering: Simulation and Validation Methods,” in Automotive Battery Technology, Graz: Springer International Publishing, 2014, pp. XIV–129.

[6] M. J. Uddin, M. M. H. Mia, M. O. Faruk, R. Hasan, and M. Miya, “Developments, obstacles, and opportunities in electric vehicle (EV) powertrain and battery technologies,” Scientia. Technology, Science and Society, vol. 2, no. 9, pp. 65–74, 2025. https://doi.org/10.59324/stss.2025.2(9).07

[7] H. Roy, B. N. Roy, M. Hasanuzzaman et al., “Global advancements and current challenges of electric vehicle batteries and their prospects: A comprehensive review,” Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 24, p. 16684, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416684

[8] X. Sun, Z. Li, X. Wang, and C. Li, “Technology development of electric vehicles: A review,” Energies, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 90, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13010090

[9] P. Zare, N. Perera, J. Lahr, and R. Hasan, “A novel thermal management system for cylindrical lithium-ion batteries using internal-external fin-enhanced phase change material,” Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 238, p. 121985, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.121985

[10] D. Luo, Z. Wu, Y. Yan et al., “Performance investigation and design optimization of a battery thermal management system with thermoelectric coolers and phase change materials,” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 434, p. 139834, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139834

[11] M. A. Rahman, G. M. V. Reddy, R. Chatterjee et al., “Energy sources and thermal management technologies for electric vehicle batteries: A technical review,” Global Challenges, vol. 9, no. 7, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202500083

[12] T. I. C. Buidin and F. Mariasiu, “Battery thermal management systems: Current status and design approach of cooling technologies,” Energies, vol. 14, no. 16, p. 4879, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14164879

[13] J. Lin, X. Liu, S. Li, C. Zhang, and S. Yang, “A review on recent progress, challenges and perspective of battery thermal management system,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 167, p. 120834, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.120834.

[14] A. R. Abdullah, L. Hongkun, M. M. Noor, H. Santhanam, and K. Kadirgama, “A comprehensive systematic review of the cooling technique for battery thermal management systems in electric vehicles,” Journal of Advanced Vehicle System, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 23–49, 2025. https://doi.org/10.37934/javs.16.1.2349

[15] T. Han, B. Khalighi, E. C. Yen, and S. Kaushik, “Li-ion battery pack thermal management: Liquid versus air cooling,” Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications, vol. 11, no. 2, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4041595

[16] A. R. Abdullah, L. Hongkun, M. M. Noor, H. Santhanam, and K. Kadirgama, “A comprehensive systematic review of the cooling technique for battery thermal management systems in electric vehicles,” Journal of Advanced Vehicle System, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 23–49, 2025. https://doi.org/10.37934/javs.16.1.2349

[17] M. A. Rahman, G. M. V. Reddy, R. Chatterjee et al., “Energy sources and thermal management technologies for electric vehicle batteries: A technical review,” Global Challenges, vol. 9, no. 7, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202500083

[18] J. Wang, Q. Zheng, M. Fang, S. Ko, Y. Yamada, and A. Yamada, “Concentrated electrolytes widen the operating temperature range of lithium‐ion batteries,” Advanced Science, vol. 8, no. 18, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202101646

[19] S. Lv, X. Wang, W. Lu, J. Zhang, and H. Ni, “The influence of temperature on the capacity of lithium ion batteries with different anodes,” Energies, vol. 15, no. 1, p. 60, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15010060

[20] S. Mazyar and H. Moghaddam, “Designing battery thermal management systems (BTMS) for cylindrical Lithium-ion battery modules using CFD.”

[21] S. Kocsis Szürke, G. Á. Gladics, and I. Lőrincz, “Analysis of the relationship between discharge cutoff voltage and thermal behavior in different lithium-ion cell types,” Applied Sciences, vol. 16, no. 1, p. 79, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16010079

[22] M. A. S. Abdul Aziz, N. Darlis, I. A. Ishak, N. A. Zolpakar, M. Arafat, and M. M. Muhammadu, “Thermal performance improvement of microchannel heat sink for electronic device cooling system using numerical analysis,” Journal of Advanced Research in Numerical Heat Transfer, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 84–98, 2024. https://doi.org/10.37934/arnht.26.1.8498

[23] Y.-H. Lin and X.-C. Li, “The investigation of a sliding mesh model for hydrodynamic analysis of a SUBOFF model in turbulent flow fields,” Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, vol. 8, no. 10, p. 744, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8100744

[24] Asad Ahsan and D. Banuri, “CFD-based analysis of divergent section deflection for thrust vector control in 2D nozzles,” Acceleron Aerospace Journal, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1281–1295, 2025. https://doi.org/10.61359/11.2106-2542

[25] Q. Yang, J. Dong, T. Xing et al., “RANS-based modelling of turbulent flow in submarine pipe bends: Effect of computational mesh and turbulence modelling,” Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, vol. 11, no. 2, p. 336, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11020336.

[26] W. C. Lim, I. Amin Ishak, M. Arafat, M. N. F. Kamal, N. A. Samiran, and A. F. Mohammad, “Analysis of the aerodynamic characteristics of small-sized car vehicles under the influence of steady crosswind,” International Journal of Application on Sciences, Technology and Engineering, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 217–224, 2023. https://doi.org/10.24912/ijaste.v1.i1.217-224

[27] M. H. Mohammad Aris, N. Darlis, I. A. Ishak, S. Sulaiman, N. Jaat, and A. F. Hakim, “HVAC CFD analysis of air flow and temperature distribution inside passenger compartment,” Journal of Automotive Powertrain and Transportation Technology, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 25-33, 2021. https://doi.org/10.30880/japtt.2021.01.01.003

Downloads

Published

2026-09-30

Issue

Volume 20 No. 3 (September 2026)

Section

Article

License

Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

[1]
N. G. Ping, “Battery thermal management system analysis on electric vehicles”, J. Mech. Eng. Sci., vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 12322–12335, Sep. 2026, doi: 10.15282/jmes.20.3.2026.5.0882.