Lithium-ion battery pack cooling using phase change materials: Review

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mechanical Engineering Department, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jrenew.2026.248098
Abstract
One of the most important components of electric vehicle is the battery. Lithium-ion batteries, among other battery options, have received more attention and use due to their lower cost, long life and high energy density. But the heat generation problems related to these batteries have limited their use for high energy consumption due to density requirements. Therefore, the cooling and care of the lithium-ion battery is of particular importance. Battery cooling strategies are divided into three main categories: active cooling, passive cooling, and hybrid cooling. Common methods of cooling the battery pack are air-cooled, water-cooled, heat pipe, thermoelectric, cold plate and phase change materials. A thermal management system with phase change materials alone is considered a passive cooling system. This review article aims to investigate battery thermal management using phase change materials through passive and hybrid methods. Phase change materials can be divided into three categories, liquid-solid, liquid-gas, and solid-solid, based on the change of state at the time of receiving energy and phase change, of which the liquid-solid category is the most widely used. Phase change materials have various applications including solar energy storage and computer CPUs. Also, in this article, some examples of battery packs and battery module specifications, paraffin wax and graphite powder are given.

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  • Receive Date 31 January 2025
  • Revise Date 29 May 2025
  • Accept Date 02 January 2026