The temperature control system is an important link to ensure the normal operation of lithium battery energy storage. At present, air cooling and liquid cooling technologies are the mainstream temperature control solutions in the energy storage industry. The selection of energy storage temperature control technology should comprehensively consider safety, economy, and battery pack design, the environment, and other factors, not simply considering the cooling performance.
Refrigeration power requirements:
  1. If the heat generation power of the energy storage project is low, the cooling demand is small, the air-cooling effect can be satisfied, and the adaptability is higher.
  2. If the heat generation power of the energy storage project is high, the cooling requirements are large, and some scenarios require liquid cooling technology to meet.
Energy storage project cost:
  1. At the initial stage of commercial development of energy storage, the cost sensitivity is high, which is conducive to higher air-cooled penetration rate, and the order of cost sensitivity is: large-scale energy storage > industrial and commercial energy storage > home storage
  2. As the profit model of energy storage improves and the cost sensitivity decreases, the penetration rate of liquid cooling is expected to increase. To meet the safety requirements, large-scale energy storage projects are expected to introduce liquid cooling on a large scale.
Energy storage battery pack design: air cooling and liquid cooling are passively selected by the battery pack
  1. The air-cooled energy storage system has simple structure, high reliability, and easy maintenance, but the system volume density is low.
  2. The liquid-cooled energy storage system has a high-volume density and a compact system, which is difficult to install and maintain and has low reliability.
The environment of the energy storage project: the outdoor temperature will affect the cooling efficiency
  1. Air-cooling is not suitable for places with extreme high temperature and heavy sandstorms: the cooling system relies on convective heat exchange with the outside air. The heat transfer efficiency is low when the outside temperature is high, and places with heavy winds and sandstorms are easy to invade and corrode the battery system.
  2. Liquid cooling is not suitable for extremely low temperature and places far away from water sources: at low temperatures, the coolant is easy to freeze and cannot be used for thermal management. Liquid cooling relies on liquid convection to dissipate heat, so it consumes a lot of water.

Please download Energy Storage System (ESS) Containers brochure for reference.
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Written by Mandy