The Superiority of Low-Complexity Liquid Cooling Construction in Vehicle-Based Supercapacitors’ Thermal Management Systems Compared to Air Cooling

The performance of air cooling and various liquid cooling systems in the thermal management of supercapacitors was investigated in this study. Effective thermal management is crucial for maintaining the performance and safety of supercapacitors, as excessive heat can lead to reduced efficiency, accelerated aging, and potential safety hazards. While air cooling is commonly used due to its simplicity and feasibility of implementation, it has limitations in high-power applications and environments with restricted airflow. In contrast, liquid cooling offers superior thermal conductivity and heat capacity. This research examined the effectiveness of two different liquid cooling structures—straight pipe and U-shaped channels—combined with downstream and counterflow patterns. Numerical simulation results revealed that all liquid cooling models significantly reduced the maximum temperature compared to air cooling: the maximum temperature of counterflow straight pipe channels decreased from 320.0 K to 300.0 K. Among the liquid cooling models, the straight pipe channels with counterflow pattern achieved the lowest temperature, which decreased from 315.0 K to just below 302.0 K; and stabilized the temperature difference around 1.0 K, indicating better temperature uniformity. The study also highlighted that while complex liquid cooling structures can bring marginal improvements, the overall performance gains were limited relative to the increased complexity. The findings suggested that future designs of liquid cooling plates should balance the complexity with the achieved thermal optimization. This research provided valuable insights into optimizing thermal management solutions for supercapacitors, emphasizing the advantages of liquid cooling and the critical role of channel design in enhancing cooling performance.