Thermal Management in Lithium-Ion Batteries: Latest Advances and Prospects

We are excited to present a Special Issue (SI) for Batteries on battery thermal management systems (BTMS). This SI aims to address the evolving demands of the field and foster insights into effective thermal management strategies. This SI includes 10 papers that review state-of-the-art technologies, characterize the thermal behaviors of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) and battery packs, and design new BTMS. Several papers have reviewed state-of-the-art technologies, challenges, and perspectives.

• Ahmadian-Elmi and Zhao [1] evaluated thermal management strategies for cylindrical Li-ion battery packs. They assessed the performance, efficiency, cost, and applicability of air cooling, liquid cooling, phase change material (PCM)-based management, and hybrid thermal management, discussing both strengths and limitations.
• Tai and Lee [2] focused on BTM systems for electric vehicles (EVs), emphasizing thermal runaway prevention and suppression. They reviewed publications from 2020 to 2025, covering indirect liquid cooling, water mist cooling, immersion cooling, PCM cooling, and hybrid cooling techniques. The review analyzed mechanisms, effectiveness, and practicality, offering future design directions for next-generation EV BTMS.
• Ortiz et al. [3] discussed single- and multi-phase cooling technologies, advanced materials, structures, sensors, models, and numerical simulations. They highlighted the use of machine learning (ML) for detecting and predicting battery thermal issues and analyzed the challenges of BTM under ultra-fast charging and low-temperature operations.

Several papers characterized the thermal behaviors of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) and battery packs, our understanding of battery aging due to temperature gradient, and thermal responses of batteries under different abuse conditions.

• Saxon et al. [4] studied commercial LIB using calorimetry, examining the impact of temperature, C-rates, and formation cycles, and noted additional heat generation through module interconnects, leading to about 20% more heat per cell compared to standalone cells at application currents of around 8C. Their testing of a 5 kWh battery pack revealed high temperature non-uniformity (12 °C) due to insufficient cooling. The study proposes a bottom-up approach to integrate battery thermal characterization with multi-domain models to avoid costly module prototype testing.
• Yao et al. [5] experimentally compared the thermal runaway (TR) of LIB triggered by overheating versus overcharging. They found different TR mechanisms, suggesting varied venting gas composition and voltage behavior. The study recommended safety strategies incorporating material-specific modifications and system-level controls to prevent TR due to these factors.
• Iriyama et al. [6] investigated the degradation of liquid-cooled LIB packs caused by non-uniform temperature distributions. They observed slower degradation in cells at the center compared to those near the cooling plates, attributing faster degradation to larger temperature gradients at the sides. Post-mortem analyses identified anode degradation as the main contributor. Interestingly, cells in liquid-cooled packs showed capacity recovery after low C-rate performance tests and extended rest, likely aiding lithium diffusion and redistribution in the anode.

Several studies focus on system designs and detection in BTM systems. Experimental and modeling studies integrate PCMs with heat pipes to improve the effectiveness of BTM systems.

• Sharifi et al. [7] developed a hybrid BTMS prototype integrating PCM with copper-water heat pipes. This novel design eliminates direct contact between PCM and the battery to reduce design complexity and improve BTMS effectiveness. The performance of the BTMS was assessed experimentally and numerically simulated using a 3D ANSYS-FLUENT 2023 model.
• Jia et al. [8] integrated Extended Kalman Filter with a 1D electro-thermal aging coupled model to estimate the real-time core temperature, state of charge (SOC), and capacity of a cylinder cell using surface temperature and voltage measurements. This model framework showed improved accuracy over existing electro-thermal models when batteries experienced high-rate cycling or aging-induced capacity degradation.
• Rahmani et al. [9] created a CFD model to study the effectiveness of hybrid BTMS on a 20-cell battery pack under 5C discharge and charge cycles. The BTMS contained a porous media (aluminum foam, copper foam, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, or graphite) surrounding the batteries, allowing airflow to dissipate heat. Graphite demonstrated the best performance for maintaining low maximum cell temperature and temperature difference.
• Oyewola et al. [10] applied CFD models to compare air-cooled BTMS flow channel shapes with one or two outlets. Step-like plenum designs reduced the maximum temperature by 3.5K compared to the original Z-shape design. Plenum designs with two outlets showed a smaller pressure drop (resulting in a pressure drop reduction ranging from 3.66 to 5.91 Pa at an airflow rate of 3 m/s) than the Z-shape design.

Continued innovation, comprehensive research and development, and demonstrations of cost-effective prototypes are essential for advancing BTMS technologies. The discoveries and insights presented in these 10 papers help pave the way for safer and more efficient energy storage solutions. The necessity of preventing thermal runways and ensuring optimal battery operation highlights the critical need for ongoing development in this field.

We extend our sincere thanks to all the authors for their significant contributions, the editors for their diligent manuscript handling, and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback. This SI could not have been possible without all your contributions. We encourage readers to engage with these publications, benefit from the studies, and propel the field forward together.