Bionic design of liquid-cooling plates for second-use lithium-ion battery energy storage modules

Second-use batteries in energy storage modules are important for reducing energy storage costs, mitigating environmental pollution, and improving resource utilization. To reduce the thermal runaway risk of second-use battery energy storage cabinets, this study proposed bionic liquid-cooling plates with fishbone-, vascular-, and honeycomb-inspired channels. A numerical heat-transfer model of the battery module–liquid cooling plate system was established. Orthogonal experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of key structural parameters on maximum temperature, temperature difference, and pressure drop. Range analysis was used to rank factor significance and determine the optimal parameter combinations. Results show that the fishbone plate achieved the best cooling performance, with a maximum battery temperature of 31.02°C and a pressure drop of 285.79 Pa at 25°C and a 1C discharge rate. The honeycomb plate exhibited the lowest pressure loss while maintaining effective cooling, with a minimum pressure drop of 218.67 Pa and a corresponding maximum temperature of 31.96°C. These findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing battery cooling systems.