Enhanced thermal management of pouch lithium-ion cells via phase change material, foam and wavy fin integrated hybrid air cooling

Pouch lithium-ion cells are widely used due to their high energy density and compact design; however, effective thermal management remains essential, especially at high discharge rates. This study presents a novel hybrid battery thermal management system (BTMS) for a pouch cell pack, integrating wavy-channel air cooling, phase change material (PCM), and thermally conductive porous foam, where the wavy fin geometry is specifically designed to enhance the convective heat transfer while simultaneously improving PCM utilization—a feature not systematically explored in prior similar studies. A validated numerical model is used to analyze the effects of key parameters, including air velocity (1–3 m/s), inlet temperature (298–306 K), and foam porosity (60–85%), at a 3C discharge rate. Performance is assessed using maximum temperature, maximum temperature difference, temperature uniformity and PCM liquid fraction. Results show that higher air velocity reduces peak temperature but limits PCM activation, while lower inlet temperature enhances cooling at the cost of latent heat utilization. Increased porosity improves temperature uniformity but raises peak temperature due to reduced conductivity. Overall, the proposed BTMS demonstrates improved thermal regulation and reveals trade-offs between convection, latent heat storage, and conduction, offering a balanced approach for high-performance applications such as electric vehicles.