A novel flow-guided cold plate with enhanced thermal performance for battery direct refrigerant cooling

Based on the background of the global carbon neutrality vision, high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries have become the primary power source for electric vehicles. Direct refrigerant cooling is increasingly favored over conventional indirect liquid cooling due to its higher heat exchange potential. This study proposes a novel flow-guided cold plate (FGCP) for direct refrigerant cooling, fabricated using a hybrid process of stamping and micro-plowing. To validate the effects of the novel flow-guided structure, this study adopts a standard parallel-serpentine stamped plate as a reference model. A systematic comparison was carried out to evaluate the hydrodynamic and thermal performance of various flow-guided configurations relative to a conventional smooth-channel cold plate (CSCP). R134a was selected as the baseline working fluid. Under the experimental conditions of an inlet saturation pressure of 470 kPa and a mass flow rate of 18 kg/h, athe FGCP exhibited an approximate 37.34% enhancement in the heat transfer coefficient, reaching a maximum of 3859.69 W/(m 2 ·K), along with an approximate 42.86% increase in critical heat flux, attaining 50,000 W/m 2 , both compared to the CSCP. Furthermore, the flow boiling stability was significantly improved, with a 48.29% reduction in the standard deviation of pressure fluctuations relative to the CSCP. The proposed FGCP offers a robust, high-performance solution for thermal management of liquid cooling under extreme heat flux conditions.