Air, liquid and refrigerant cooling
Three approaches, and why liquid won.
You'll learn
- Explain air, liquid and refrigerant cooling at engineering level
- Read the numbers that define the behaviour
- Apply the idea to a real pack
Overview
Getting kilowatts of heat out of a sealed box under the floor is the defining thermal problem of an EV.
In depth
Thermal management explorer
Switch scenarios and watch the coolant loop respond.
Pack temperature
38 °C
Coolant flow
100%
Mode
Cooling
Peak heat generation; coolant flow and chiller run at maximum.
Cooling strategies
| Air | Liquid | Direct refrigerant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat transfer capability | Low | High | Very high |
| Complexity | Very low | Moderate | High |
| Temperature uniformity | Poor | Good | Excellent |
| Supports fast charging | No | Yes | Yes |
Key takeaways
Remember this
- Liquid cooling is the practical standard.
- Uniformity matters as much as absolute temperature.
- Fast charging is impossible without active cooling.
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