Battery Pack Side Cooling or Bottom Cooling, Which Is Better?
2026-04-27
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Thermal management is a critical cornerstone of battery pack performance, safety, and service life, especially as electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS) continue to develop towards higher power density, faster charging speeds, and more diverse operating scenarios. The efficient dissipation of heat generated by battery cells during charging and discharging directly determines the stability of energy output, the risk of thermal runaway, and the long-term reliability of the entire battery system. Among the various thermal management technologies currently in practical application, side cooling and bottom cooling are two mature and widely adopted solutions, each with distinct working principles, performance characteristics, and applicable scenarios. This article will systematically compare the two methods in terms of principle, advantages, disadvantages, and application scope, providing a clear reference for the selection of battery pack thermal management solutions.
1. Side Cooling
Principle:
Liquid cooling plates or heat conduction structures are installed on the sides of the battery pack. Coolant or heat-conducting materials transfer heat generated by cells from the sides, expanding the heat dissipation area and improving cooling efficiency.
Advantages:
It provides a large heat dissipation area and effectively reduces cell surface temperature, making it highly suitable for high-power and high-rate charging and discharging scenarios such as ultra-fast charging battery packs.
It optimizes internal temperature uniformity of the battery pack, minimizes temperature differences between cells, and reduces the risk of thermal runaway.
For both cylindrical and prismatic cells, side cooling enables better coverage of core heat-generating areas.
Disadvantages:
The structure is relatively complex, requiring strict consideration of liquid cooling plate installation, sealing and close contact with cells, resulting in higher costs.
It occupies lateral space inside the pack, restricting the overall layout design when the battery pack dimension is limited.
Application Scenarios:
Widely adopted in high-end electric vehicles, energy storage systems and other high-power applications, represented by CATL Qilin Battery and some Tesla models.
2. Bottom Cooling
Principle:
A liquid cooling plate or heat-conducting base plate is arranged at the bottom of the battery pack. Heat is conducted outwards through direct contact between the bottom structure and cooling media.
Advantages:
It features a simple structure and lower cost, facilitating mass production and standardized manufacturing.
It meets basic heat dissipation demands for low-power and low-rate operating conditions with minimal space occupation.
Disadvantages:
The limited heat exchange area leads to low cooling efficiency, failing to support high-power operation and high-rate fast charging.
It easily causes uneven internal temperature distribution; the bottom remains cool while heat accumulates at the top, impairing overall battery performance and service life.
Application Scenarios:
Applied to low-power devices, entry-level electric vehicles and battery packs with low heat dissipation requirements, including cost-effective EVs and general energy storage battery modules.
Summary
Side cooling delivers high cooling efficiency and superior temperature consistency, ideal for high-power and high-rate working conditions at a higher structural cost. Bottom cooling boasts a simple structure and cost advantages, which is applicable to low-power and low-demand scenarios. In practical engineering, hybrid solutions combining side cooling and bottom cooling are commonly adopted to achieve comprehensive thermal management performance.
In the global transition towards green energy and carbon neutrality, electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS) have become the core driving forces of the new energy revolution. Among the key components that determine the performance, safety, and lifespan of EV battery packs and ESS modules, thermal management systems stand out as a critical technology—directly affecting charging efficiency, battery cycle life, and even preventing thermal runaway risks. Trumony Aluminum Limited (referred to as "Trumony"), founded in 2017 and headquartered in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, has emerged as a fast-growing, innovative manufacturer and one-stop solution provider specializing in high-performance battery thermal management systems, liquid cooling solutions, and aluminum heat exchangers, dedicated to supporting the global new energy industry with reliable, cost-effective, and customized thermal management technologies.
Whether you are an EV OEM, battery manufacturer, ESS integrator, or enterprise in need of high-quality battery thermal management solutions, Trumony is your reliable long-term partner. We are committed to strengthening cooperation with global partners, jointly promoting the development of the new energy industry, and achieving win-win results. If you are interested in our side cooling, bottom cooling, or integrated liquid cooling solutions, want to customize thermal management products for your specific needs, or have any questions about our products and services, please do not hesitate to contact us immediately—our professional team will respond to you promptly and provide you with tailored solutions.
Headquarters Address: Jindi Weixin Wuzhong Intelligent Manufacturing Park, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China
Factory Address: Suqian Economic & Technological Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, China
Email:sales4@trumony.com
Contact Trumony today, and let us work together to create a greener, more sustainable future with advanced battery thermal management technology!
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7 Common Liquid Cooling Plate Processes: Principles & Key Characteristics
2026-04-24
7 Common Liquid Cooling Plate Processes: Principles & Key Characteristics
1. Stamping + Brazing Process
Principle: Aluminum or copper plates are stamped into components with flow channel grooves using stamping dies, and then hermetically connected with fins, cover plates and other components through brazing (such as vacuum brazing or controlled atmosphere brazing).
Characteristics: Suitable for mass production with low cost and flexible flow channel design. Fins can be integrated to enhance heat transfer, but the die cost is high and the complexity of flow channels is limited.
2. Machining + Welding Process
Principle: CNC machine tools are used to mill, drill and process flow channels on aluminum or copper base plates, and then the cover plates are sealed by welding (such as friction stir welding, brazing) to form closed flow channels.
Characteristics: The shape and depth of the flow channel can be freely designed, which is suitable for complex heat source layout and space-constrained scenarios, but the processing efficiency is low and the material utilization rate is low.
3. Extrusion Molding + Welding Process
Principle: Aluminum alloy billets are heated and extruded through extrusion dies to form profiles with internal flow channels, which are then cut, machined and welded with headers or cover plates to complete sealing.
Characteristics: High production efficiency and low cost, suitable for mass production, but the flow channels are usually regular in shape, and the design of complex flow channels is limited.
4. Die Casting + Welding Process
Principle: Molten aluminum alloy is injected into the mold at high pressure to die-cast the body with flow channel grooves, and then the cover plate is sealed by welding (such as friction stir welding, brazing).
Characteristics: Suitable for complex integrated structures with high production efficiency, but the die cost is high. Die castings may have pores, impurities and other problems, which require subsequent treatment.
5. Fin Cutting + Brazing Process
Principle: Dense fins are processed on the aluminum or copper base plate through the fin cutting process to form microchannels, which are then hermetically sealed with the cover plate and water inlet and outlet nozzles through brazing.
Characteristics: High heat transfer efficiency and small volume, suitable for high heat flux scenarios, but the flow resistance is large, requiring a powerful pump drive and high cost.
6. Friction Stir Welding (FSW) Process
Principle: A high-speed rotating stirring head is used to generate frictional heat on the contact surface of the workpiece, so that the metal enters a plastic state and fuses to achieve solid-state connection. It is often used to seal cover plates or connect complex flow channel structures.
Characteristics: High weld strength, good sealing performance, no fusion welding defects, suitable for large-size and mass production, but high requirements for tooling and slightly poor weld appearance.
7. 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing) Process
Principle: Metal 3D printing technology (such as selective laser melting) is used to stack metal powder layer by layer to directly manufacture liquid cooling plates with complex topological structures, and the flow channels can be designed conformally.
Characteristics: Extremely high design freedom, able to realize complex flow channels that cannot be processed by traditional processes, and excellent heat dissipation performance, but high cost and low production efficiency, suitable for prototype development or high-end customization.
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Why Liquid Cooling Instead of Air Cooling — How Liquid Cold Plates Work?
2026-04-23
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Why Liquid Cooling Instead of Air Cooling — How Liquid Cold Plates Work?
The core working principle of a liquid cooling plate is to efficiently transfer heat from solid surfaces through forced convective heat transfer, utilizing the high specific heat capacity and convective heat transfer characteristics of cooling fluids. The detailed process is as follows:
1. Heat Conduction via Thermal Interface
Heat-generating components are tightly attached to one or more surfaces of the liquid cooling plate (commonly known as the mounting surface or base plate) using thermal interface materials such as thermal grease, thermal pads, solder, and other thermally conductive media. Heat is transferred from the heat source to the solid wall of the liquid cooling plate through thermal conduction.
2. Heat Conduction Within the Solid Structure
Heat travels within the metallic structure of the liquid cooling plate (typically aluminum, copper, or other high-conductivity alloys) by means of thermal conduction, moving from the high-temperature mounting surface in contact with the heat source to the low-temperature inner walls of the internal flow channels that interact with the coolant. Higher thermal conductivity of the material and thinner wall thickness reduce thermal resistance and improve heat conduction efficiency.
3. Convective Heat Transfer
This is the most critical stage. The coolant, usually deionized water, aqueous glycol solution, or specialized industrial coolant, flows through the sealed internal channels of the liquid cooling plate at a controlled velocity driven by an external pump. As it passes over the high-temperature inner channel walls, the coolant absorbs heat from the wall surfaces.
Heat transfer relies primarily on forced convection: the flow of the coolant, especially in a turbulent state, disrupts the laminar boundary layer near the wall surfaces, enabling more efficient mixing and heat exchange between the core cold fluid and the hot wall. A higher convective heat transfer coefficient corresponds to stronger heat exchange performance.
The design of the flow channels, including shape, dimensions, and surface enhancements such as fins or pin fins, directly affects the flow regime (laminar or turbulent), heat exchange area, and convective heat transfer coefficient, ultimately determining the overall heat dissipation efficiency.
4. Heat Removal by the Coolant
After absorbing heat, the temperature of the coolant increases, and it exits the liquid cooling plate through the outlet port.
5. External Circulation and Heat Rejection
The heat-carrying high-temperature coolant is pumped to an external heat exchanger within the system, such as an air-cooled radiator, water-cooled condenser, or secondary cooling plate. Inside the heat exchanger, heat from the coolant is ultimately dissipated into the ambient environment through air or water cooling. The cooled low-temperature coolant is then recirculated back to the inlet of the liquid cooling plate, completing the closed-loop cycle.
Key Summary
High-Efficiency Heat Transfer Medium: Liquids possess a significantly higher specific heat capacity than air (water’s specific heat capacity is approximately four times that of air), allowing far greater heat absorption per unit volume. The convective heat transfer coefficient of liquids, especially water, is also dozens to hundreds of times higher than air, resulting in much faster heat transfer rates under the same temperature difference.
Low Thermal Resistance Path: The liquid cooling plate provides a low-resistance thermal pathway from the heat source to the coolant, supported by high-thermal-conductivity materials and optimized structural engineering.
Enhanced Heat Transfer via Forced Convection: Pump-driven forced flow and optimized channel designs that generate turbulence and expand heat exchange area greatly strengthen heat transfer between the fluid and solid walls.
Improved Temperature Uniformity: Well-designed channel layouts, such as serpentine or multi-branch configurations, improve temperature uniformity across the liquid cooling plate surface and prevent localized overheating.
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314 Cooling Plate: High-Performance Thermal Management for Extreme Environments
2026-04-16
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Superior Material for High-Temperature Stability
The 314 cooling plate, primarily manufactured from AISI 314 stainless steel, is engineered for demanding high-temperature and corrosive environments. With a composition rich in chromium (23–26%), nickel (19–22%), and silicon (1.5–3.0%), this austenitic alloy delivers outstanding heat resistance, oxidation resistance, and mechanical stability, maintaining performance at temperatures up to 1150°C.
Efficient Heat Exchange Design
The internal structure of the 314 cooling plate features optimized serpentine or parallel flow channels, enabling efficient heat transfer through circulating coolants such as water or glycol. This design ensures uniform temperature distribution and effective dissipation of concentrated heat loads.
Enhanced Corrosion and Oxidation Resistance
The elevated silicon content promotes the formation of a protective SiO₂ layer on the surface, significantly improving resistance to sulfidation and scaling. This makes the 314 cooling plate particularly suitable for harsh operating conditions found in petrochemical processing, metallurgy, and waste incineration industries.
Improved Strength Under Thermal Stress
Compared to conventional 304 and 316 stainless steel cooling plates, the 314 variant offers superior creep strength and structural integrity under prolonged high-temperature exposure. This ensures long-term reliability and reduces the risk of deformation or failure in extreme applications.
Reliable Manufacturing and Wide Applications
Manufactured באמצעות precision welding or brazing processes, 314 cooling plates provide leak-proof performance and consistent thermal conductivity. They are widely used in furnace heat exchangers, radiant tubes, and high-temperature battery thermal management systems.
Conclusion: Durability Meets Efficiency
In modern industrial applications, the 314 cooling plate achieves an optimal balance between durability and thermal efficiency, making it a critical component for reliable and long-lasting thermal management in extreme operating conditions.
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Trumony Unveils Next-Gen Battery Pack Lower Enclosure Optimized for 587 Cells at ESIE 2026
2026-04-02
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Trumony Unveils Next-Gen Battery Enclosure for 587Ah Cells at ESIE 2026
Beijing, China – April 2, 2026
Trumony, a leading provider of advanced structural components for energy storage systems, successfully exhibited at the 14th Energy Storage International Summit & Exhibition (ESIE 2026) held at the Capital International Exhibition & Convention Center in Beijing from April 1st to 3rd. The company showcasing its latest technological breakthrough: a newly designed battery pack lower enclosure tailored exclusively for high-capacity 587Ah cells.
ESIE 2026 stands as one of the largest and most influential energy storage events globally, gathering over 1,000 exhibitors and attracting professional visitors from around the world. Against this premier industry backdrop, Trumony's innovative solution garnered significant attention, drawing a continuous stream of international clients, partners, and industry experts to its booth for in-depth technical discussions and business negotiations.
Next-Gen Lower Enclosure: Engineered for the 587Ah Era
Responding to the industry's rapid shift towards larger-format 587Ah energy storage cells, Trumony's new lower enclosure is a purpose-built structural solution addressing the unique mechanical, thermal, and integration challenges presented by high-capacity energy storage systems.
Superior Structural Strength: Optimized load-bearing design to handle the increased weight and internal expansion forces of 587Ah cells, ensuring exceptional rigidity and stability during operation and transportation.
Integrated Thermal Management: Features a highly integrated design for liquid cooling systems, enabling efficient heat dissipation and maintaining optimal thermal performance for enhanced battery safety and longevity.
High-Density Integration: Precision-engineered for compact layouts, maximizing space utilization to help system integrators achieve higher energy capacity within standard containers.
Premium Material & Craftsmanship: Constructed with high-strength, lightweight alloys and advanced manufacturing processes, delivering an optimal balance between durability, weight efficiency, and long-term reliability.
Strong Customer Engagement & Market Recognition
Throughout the exhibition, Trumony's booth was a hub of activity. The team engaged extensively with attendees, providing detailed technical briefings and live demonstrations of the product's key advantages. The new 587-cell lower enclosure received enthusiastic feedback, with numerous existing and potential customers expressing strong interest and intent for collaboration.
"This exhibition at ESIE 2026 has been a tremendous success," said a spokesperson for Trumony. "The overwhelming interest in our new 587Ah lower enclosure validates our strategic focus on developing cutting-edge, customer-centric solutions for the evolving energy storage market. We are committed to driving innovation and supporting our global partners in building safer, more efficient, and higher-density energy storage systems."
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