Active cooling techniques for battery thermal management

Efficient thermal management plays a critical role in maintaining the safety and reliability of battery systems, especially as battery technology advances and is integrated into applications such as aerospace, electric vehicles, and portable devices. To ensure the performance and longevity of such systems, it is important to effectively manage the temperature of the battery packs. Active cooling methods, which rely on external mechanisms to disperse heat from the battery, are fundamental to maintaining the battery temperature within a secure operating range and increasing its service life. This chapter presents an overview of different active cooling techniques for battery thermal management systems, including liquid and nanofluid, forced air, refrigeration, thermoelectric, and hybrid cooling-based methods. Each method inherits some advantages and disadvantages, and selecting the most appropriate approach is based on factors like size of the battery, operating conditions, and chemistry. In general, active cooling methods are indispensable for ensuring the optimal safety and performance of battery systems, and their improvement and optimization will continue to be the subject of research and innovation in diverse industries.