Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Cold Plate and Loop Heat Pipe Thermal Management Systems for Lithium-Ion Batteries in Electric Vehicles

Lithium-ion batteries have gained great importance in the industrial and automotive world over the past decade. The battery thermal management system (BTMS) plays a key role in ensuring that these types of batteries can operate under optimal temperature conditions. Research and industry have demonstrated that one of the best solutions is the liquid-based BTMS which employs a liquid to dissipate heat from the cells. In this document, the system referred to as a traditional configuration involves using a cold plate in contact with the battery modules through which the coolant is circulated. Its performance is excellent thanks to the advantages of indirect contact with the battery and its cooling capacity due to the high thermal conductivity of the liquid. However, this system’s nature requires an external energy source to circulate the liquid, resulting in higher energy consumption and negative environmental impacts. For this reason, this thesis proposes an innovative passive system capable of eliminating these undesirable outcomes: the Loop Heat Pipe (LHP). The purpose is to develop a comparative analysis of the environmental impacts of the two systems using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. Initially, a model designed at the Advanced Engineering Centre of the University of Brighton, UK, was exploited to obtain preliminary results and demonstrate the benefits of using this BTMS applied to electric vehicles. Finally, a second design of the system is proposed, in which copper is replaced with stainless steel to further reduce emissions of Greenhouse Gases and other environmental impacts. With the results achieved, the thesis verified that the innovative LHP system effectively manages battery temperature with excellent performance and a lower carbon footprint, proving to be a promising solution for future EVs.