TY  - EJOU
AU  - Chen, Zerui 
AU  - Zeng, Yixuan 
AU  - Mi, Tengge 
AU  - Kang, Xiaomin 

TI  - A Comprehensive Review on the Design of Liquid Cooling Plates in Battery Thermal Management
T2  - Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer

PY  - 
VL  - 
IS  - 
SN  - 2151-8629

AB  - Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to operating temperature, making the Battery thermal management system (BTMS) a critical technical bottleneck in electric vehicle development. The liquid cooling plate is the core heat-exchange component in liquid cooling systems, and its optimized design directly sets the performance ceiling of BTMS. Unlike previous reviews that focused on single cooling methods or general BTMS performance, this review specifically addresses liquid cooling plate (LCP) channel design and optimization for prismatic/pouch lithium-ion batteries under water/glycol-based single-phase cooling, based on a systematic literature screening (2015–2026). This review systematically examines recent advances in channel structure innovations and multi-objective optimization methods for liquid cooling plates. It aims to clarify the current technical trajectory and identify key knowledge gaps. This review is structured as follows: traditional channel configurations, bionic and fractal designs, and topology-optimized channel generation. The review reveals an evolutionary pattern from regular geometries to bio-inspired forms and finally to free-form topologies. Beyond tracking this structural evolution, we further critically synthesize how surrogate-model-assisted multi-objective optimization frameworks resolve the inherent conflicts between heat dissipation and energy consumption. These optimization frameworks are examined with particular attention to their trade-off mechanisms, accuracy of surrogate models, and practical constraints including manufacturability and experimental validation. Furthermore, it indicates that bionic channels (e.g., vein networks and spider webs) and topology-optimized channels generally outperform traditional designs in temperature uniformity and flow resistance. Moreover, surrogate model-assisted optimization frameworks can significantly reduce computational costs in multi-objective problems. However, existing studies share several common challenges: numerical simulations dominate while experimental validation is insufficient; optimization conclusions often lack generality across different operating conditions; complex channel designs are not easily integrated with engineering manufacturing; and full-life-cycle factors such as battery aging are rarely considered in optimization. Future efforts should focus on intelligent surrogate models with real-time control, system-level coordination with vehicle thermal management, and performance evaluation over the entire life cycle. Multidisciplinary integration is expected to be the key driving force for sustained breakthroughs in this field.
KW  - Liquid cooling plate; battery thermal management system; structural optimization; topology optimization; multi-objective optimization

DO  - 10.32604/fhmt.2026.088130