Design and development of a liquid thermostating test bench for thermal management assessment of prismatic LiFePO₄ batteries

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) battery cells are widely employed due to their high safety, long cycle life, and excellent thermal stability. However, thermal management remains a critical aspect of their performance and durability. This study presents the design and development of a dedicated test bench to evaluate the effects of temperature on prismatic LiFePO₄ cells and to investigate the effectiveness of a direct liquid cooling technique for thermal management. Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations are used to analyze the effectiveness of the proposed heat exchanger design, aiming to compactness, efficiency, and temperature uniformity on the external surface of the cell. For the evaluation of the test bench, two cells were compared: one maintained at a lower temperature than the other, both subject to continuous charge and discharge cycles at 1C. The test bench is realized assessing both electrical and thermal parameters using a supervision and control algorithm. The methodology presented here establishes the basis for a systematic study of cell degradation under cycling, by operating the cells at controlled temperatures.