BESS Liquid Cooling · AU Industry Application
ToneCooling Australia supplies liquid cooling cold plates for BESS (battery energy storage system) projects in Australia and New Zealand, including hot inland sites, aligned to the AEMO 2026 Integrated System Plan and the Capacity Investment Scheme. Reference product TC-1P104S — 39.1 kg stamped-brazed aluminium cold plate for 1P104S battery modules — has real production-line test data: 4 Pa air-tightness leak (vs 30 Pa specification), 21.2 kPa CFD ΔP at 10 L/min, 6.2 °C cell-top ΔT across 104 cells. Material substrates dual-certified RoHS 2.0 + PFAS-free per SGS Shanghai. AS/NZS 5139 design-aware, AS/NZS 4777 inverter-context aware. Cold plates designed, engineered & manufactured in Huizhou; AU compliance documentation from Carlton VIC.
Engineering Reference & Standards
Section 1 of 8
Cell-to-cell ΔT is the primary thermal constraint for lithium-ion calendar life. Cells running > 5 °C above their pack-mean degrade ~ 2× faster than cells at the pack mean; over a 10-year BESS asset life this translates to early single-cell failure, BMS-triggered string isolation, and lost availability. Liquid cooling — distributed across all cells in the module via a stamped-channel cold plate — delivers the cell-pack thermal uniformity that air cooling cannot achieve at high discharge rates.
Section 2 of 8
| Parameter | Verified value | Test method / source |
|---|---|---|
| Weight (TC variant) | 39.1 kg | Production-line CMM dimensional verification |
| Weight (GX variant) | 40.3 kg | Production-line CMM dimensional verification |
| Air-tightness leak (production-line sample) | 4 Pa measured (vs 30 Pa spec) | Pressure-decay test per QC/T 468-2010, production batch |
| Burst pressure | 4 MPa | Lot-sample destructive test |
| Maximum working pressure | 0.35 MPa | Hydraulic specification |
| Total hydraulic ΔP @ 10 L/min | 24.61 kPa (with port losses) | CFD simulation, 50/50 EGW, 20 °C inlet |
| Bare cold plate ΔP @ 10 L/min | 21.2 kPa | CFD simulation REV-0 |
| Cell-top ΔT (104 cells) | 6.2 °C | CFD, 50/50 EGW, 20 °C inlet, 15 W per cell |
| Top plate material | AL3003MOD | RoHS 2.0 certified, CNAS-accredited Wonder Labs |
| Channel material | AL3003MOD + AL4045 brazing | RoHS 2.0 certified |
| Frame material | SPCC / Q235 steel | RoHS 2.0 + PFAS-free SGS Shanghai EN 17681-1:2022 |
| Joining processes | Stamped brazing (CAB) + laser welding | IATF 16949-aligned production line |
| Helium leak rate (production target) | ≤ 1×10⁻⁹ mbar·L/s | High-sensitivity helium mass-spectrometer |
| Operating temperature range | −40 °C to 150 °C, 20–98 % RH | Per AS/NZS 60068-2-14 thermal cycling |
Section 3 of 8
| Standard | Scope | ToneCooling alignment |
|---|---|---|
| AS/NZS 5139:2019 | Battery system installation safety, including thermal management context | Cold plate design-aware: cell-to-cell ΔT ≤ 6 °C envelope, single-cell isolation, BMS integration support |
| AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 | Grid-connected inverter (PCS) installation — relevant for grid-forming BESS | Cold plate context-aware: PCS/inverter cooling support across grid-forming and grid-following modes |
| AS/NZS 60068-2-14:2014 | Environmental testing: change of temperature endurance | Validation: −40 °C to 150 °C thermal cycling reports per shipment |
| AS/NZS 60529:2004 | Degrees of protection by enclosures (IP code) | Validation: IP65 / IP66 evidence on request for outdoor BESS deployments |
| IEC 62619:2022 | Secondary cells and batteries — safety requirements (referenced via AS/NZS) | Material substrates RoHS 2.0 compliant; thermal envelope aligned |
| UL 1973:2022 | Stationary batteries (relevant for AU integrators with US-aligned UL programmes) | Cold plate compatible with UL 1973 BESS programmes via documentation handoff |
Section 4 of 8
Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme is the federal scheme under which PFAS substances are reviewed. National Chemicals Working Group recommendations are progressively translating into procurement specifications.
Steel frame substrate tested per EN 17681-1:2022 by SGS Shanghai (international third-party laboratory). PFOS, PFOA, PFOSA, FOSAA — all four targeted PFAS species — returned ND (not detected) results.
For AU energy infrastructure tenders that include PFAS-free as a sub-component requirement, the TC-1P104S material declarations integrate directly into your tender response without compliance-gap remediation.
Section 5 of 8
35 GW of shallow and medium storage plus 5 GW of deep storage needed in the NEM by 2050. Liquid-cooled BESS extends asset calendar life to meet ISP lifetime assumptions.
Federal tenders under the Capacity Investment Scheme continue to add dispatchable storage to the NEM. Cold plate documentation supports the CIS contract reporting cycle.
Around 74% of battery projects in the NEM connections pipeline are grid-forming (AEMO, April 2026) — generating higher inverter cooling demands than legacy grid-following systems.
Daily cycling on AEMO despatch profiles requires liquid cooling to maintain cell-pack uniformity and extend calendar life beyond 10 years.
Section 6 of 8
These temperatures are on the record. The Bureau of Meteorology recorded 48.9 °C at Penrith Lakes on 4 January 2020, the highest temperature measured in the Sydney basin (BoM, January 2020 NSW summary). During the January 2026 heatwave, temperatures passed 40 °C across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and some inland areas stayed above 46 °C on consecutive days, putting battery cooling systems under sustained load (Energy-Storage.News, 9 January 2026).
| Design question | Why it matters at 45 °C | What we confirm at quotation |
|---|---|---|
| Hottest design-day ambient | A dry cooler can only bring the coolant down to a margin above the outside air, so the design ambient sets the warmest coolant the cells will see. | Site design ambient from the owner’s engineer or the nearest BoM station record |
| Coolant supply temperature at the cold plate | Sets the margin between cell temperature and coolant at full discharge. | Supply and return temperature and flow per module on the design day |
| Flow balance across every cell row | Uneven flow shows up only at peak load, and the hottest rows age first. | CFD per module. TC-1P104S reference: 6.2 °C cell-top spread across 104 cells at 15 W per cell, 10 L/min, 50/50 EGW |
| Pressure-drop budget | Extra flow for hot days costs pump head across the whole string. | TC-1P104S reference: 21.2 kPa CFD total ΔP at 10 L/min, 50/50 EGW, 20 °C |
| Heat rejection: dry cooler or chiller | Dry coolers use no evaporative water but lose margin as ambient rises; chillers hold supply temperature but add compressor power. | Selected with the integrator for each site; we supply cold plates and loop data |
| Enclosure, dust and salt | Inland dust and coastal salt load fans, coils and connectors during long hot spells. | Enclosure IP rating and salt-spray scope agreed per project |
| Leak integrity under daily cycling | Hot days add thermal cycling stress to every joint. | Production-line pressure-decay test (TC-1P104S measured 4 Pa against a 30 Pa specification, QC/T 468-2010 method); 4 MPa burst, lot-sample tested |
Air-cooled systems are the most exposed, because the gap between cell temperature and cooling air shrinks as ambient rises. With liquid cold plates the limit moves to the heat-rejection plant: when the dry cooler or chiller is sized for the hottest design day, the cells can stay in their window at the planned discharge rate. Any derating strategy is set by the integrator’s BMS and the cell maker’s limits; we provide the cold plate thermal and hydraulic data that feeds it.
A dry cooler uses no evaporative water, which suits remote sites with limited water, but its coolant temperature follows the outside air. A chiller holds a set supply temperature whatever the ambient, at the cost of compressor power. Some projects pair a dry cooler with chiller trim for the hottest hours. The choice is made per site with the integrator; our cold plate CFD shows how much coolant temperature headroom each option leaves the cells.
Cell chemistry and format, module layout (for example 1P104S), heat load per cell at the planned C-rate, coolant type and glycol mix, supply temperature and flow on the design day, allowable pressure drop, enclosure rating and the site’s state. An engineer reviews every RFQ and replies by email with next steps. Send your BESS cooling brief →
Related: BESS cold plate design guide · TC-1P104S BESS cold plate · Cold plate vs immersion for BESS · Power electronics and PCS cooling
Section 7 of 8
Section 8 of 8
| Stage | Owner | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. RFQ intake & acknowledgement | Carlton VIC customer engineering support team | Receipt confirmation; completeness check on TDP / ΔP / qualification scope |
| 2. Engineering response | Carlton-coordinated; Huizhou design and engineering team technical review | Thermal sensitivity table, process recommendation, draft AUD quote |
| 3. NDA execution | Carlton VIC team | Mutual NDA signed; design-IP exchange enabled |
| 4. DFM review session | Carlton + Huizhou joint Zoom session | CFD output, channel-topology proposal, manifold-port alignment, hydraulic budget review |
| 5. Prototype & production delivery | Huizhou manufacturing → AU customer site | Lot-traceable QC certificates per shipment |
Frequently Asked
Australian grid-scale BESS sites cycle daily on AEMO ISP / CIS-aligned despatch profiles, with cell-level heat generation that scales with charge/discharge rate. Air-cooled BESS is limited to ~ 0.5C continuous discharge before cell-to-cell ΔT exceeds the 5–8 °C envelope that maintains lithium-ion calendar life. Liquid-cooled BESS extends continuous discharge capability to 1C–2C, enables higher cell-pack density, and tightens cell-to-cell ΔT to ≤ 6 °C — measured on our TC-1P104S production cold plate at 50/50 EGW, 10 L/min, 15 W per cell.
TC-1P104S is ToneCooling's flagship BESS cold plate — a 39.1 kg stamped-brazed aluminium cold plate for 1P104S battery modules used in grid-scale energy storage. Construction: AL3003MOD top + AL3003MOD/AL4045 channel + SPCC steel frame, joined by stamped brazing and laser welding. Verified production-line QA: pressure-decay air-tightness 4 Pa against 30 Pa specification (per QC/T 468-2010 method), CFD-simulated total ΔP 21.2 kPa at 10 L/min on 50/50 EGW, cell-top ΔT 6.2 °C across all 104 cells under 15 W per cell heat load. Material substrates dual-certified RoHS 2.0 + PFAS-free per SGS Shanghai EN 17681-1:2022.
Yes. AS/NZS 5139:2019 governs Australian battery system installation including thermal management. The TC-1P104S is design-aware to AS/NZS 5139 — our DFM engineering review covers thermal runaway containment context, cell-to-cell ΔT envelope alignment, single-cell thermal isolation, and BMS thermal monitoring integration. ToneCooling supplies cold plates; AS/NZS 5139 installation compliance is the responsibility of the licensed Australian electrical installer.
Australia is moving toward harmonised PFAS regulation under AICIS following the National Chemicals Working Group review. Federal procurement for major energy infrastructure increasingly requires PFAS-free declarations for BESS sub-components. Our TC-1P104S steel frame is dual-certified PFAS-free per SGS Shanghai EN 17681-1:2022 (PFOS, PFOA, PFOSA, FOSAA all ND) — enabling AU procurement programmes that include PFAS-free as a tender requirement to specify the TC-1P104S without compliance gaps.
AEMO’s 2026 Integrated System Plan projects that the NEM will need 35 GW of shallow and medium storage (four to 12 hours) plus 5 GW of deep storage by 2050, with batteries expected to supply most of the medium storage. Around 74 per cent of battery projects in the NEM connections pipeline are grid-forming (AEMO, April 2026). These despatch profiles cycle BESS daily on charge/discharge windows with second-resolution power swings; liquid cooling is necessary to maintain cell-pack thermal stability under high cycling frequency and to extend calendar life beyond 10 years to meet ISP-aligned BESS lifetime assumptions.
Engagement cycle: Carlton-coordinated engineering response on receipt of complete RFQ; NDA execution; joint Carlton + Huizhou DFM review session; tooled prototype manufacturing and shipping. order quantity, prototype and production lead times, and annual capacity are agreed at quotation per programme.
Yes. ToneCooling Australia Pty Ltd supplies New Zealand battery storage programmes, with engineering support from Carlton, Victoria, and documentation referencing joint AS/NZS standards.
ToneCooling Australia supplies BESS cold plates for Australian grid-scale battery energy storage programmes. The TC-1P104S reference design (39.1 kg, AL3003MOD stamped-brazed, 4 Pa air-tightness, 21.2 kPa delta-P at 10 L/min, 6.2 degC cell-top spread across 104 cells) is PFAS-free SGS-certified per EN 17681-1:2022 and design-aware to AS/NZS 5139.
ToneCooling Australia BESS cold plates are designed to be compliant-aware to AS/NZS 5139 (BESS installation), AS/NZS 4777.2 (grid-connected inverter), and AS/NZS 60068-2-14 (thermal cycling endurance). Site-specific installation compliance is the responsibility of the licensed Australian electrical installer at the deployment site, supported by ToneCooling Australia compliance documentation.
Yes. ToneCooling Australia is positioned to supply BESS thermal hardware to AEMO ISP-aligned and Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) battery deployments. Engagement scope covers cold plate design, CFD validation, AS/NZS 5139 design-aware documentation, ChAFTA Certificate of Origin, RoHS 2.0 declarations, and PFAS-free SGS certification.
Design the cooling around the hottest design day. On inland and northern Australian sites the air can pass 45 °C on the afternoons when the market asks for full discharge. A liquid cold plate under every cell row, a coolant loop sized for that day, and a dry cooler or chiller that still has margin at peak ambient keep the cells inside the cell maker’s operating window. The design inputs are confirmed at quotation: site design ambient, coolant supply temperature and flow, pressure-drop budget, enclosure rating, and leak integrity under daily cycling.
A dry cooler uses no evaporative water, which suits remote sites with limited water, but its coolant temperature follows the outside air. A chiller holds a set supply temperature whatever the ambient, at the cost of compressor power. Some projects pair a dry cooler with chiller trim for the hottest hours. The choice is made per site with the integrator; ToneCooling Australia supplies the cold plates and the CFD data showing how much coolant temperature headroom each option leaves the cells.
Battery and power OEM supply
Beyond the TC-1P104S cold plate, ToneCooling Australia supplies the rest of the battery cooling loop for Australian and New Zealand storage projects:
Continue Exploring
Liquid cold plate vs immersion cooling for Australian grid-scale BESS.
REGIONCold plates for New Zealand grid-scale battery storage and power electronics.
PRODUCT39.1 kg AL3003MOD stamped-brazed cold plate; real test data 4 Pa leak, 21.2 kPa ΔP, 6.2 °C cell-top ΔT.
View product → RESOURCE14-section engineering reference — cell ΔT envelope, channel topology, AS/NZS 5139 thermal context.
Read the guide → RESOURCE24+ AS/NZS / IEC / ISO / EN standards mapped to BESS cold plate programmes.
View reference → CAPABILITYAS/NZS 5139 design-aware documentation handoff to AU electrical installers.
View capability →A complete RFQ — cell-pack configuration, target ΔP and flow rate, AS/NZS 5139 context, BMS interface, lead time — is reviewed by an engineer, with technical review by the Huizhou design and engineering team, and answered by email with next steps. You receive a thermal sensitivity table, process recommendation (CAB / FSW), CFD output, and draft quote in AUD.
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