Last updated: 5 October 2026
Liquid cooling for commercial battery storage cabinets
Liquid cooling for commercial battery storage uses cold plates and a coolant loop to keep cell temperatures even inside sealed outdoor C&I and community battery cabinets. ToneCooling supplies the battery and PCS cold plates, manifolds and liquid cooling units for Australian cabinets from 50 kW to 1 MW.
Typical programme scope
- Battery module cold plates, aluminium CAB or FSW
- PCS cold plates for IGBT and SiC modules, vacuum brazed
- Manifolds & loop sub-assemblies built to your cabinet layout
- Liquid cooling unit, about 3–8 kW, IP54
- CFD review of the whole cabinet loop
- Leak, pressure and ΔP records tied to each drawing revision
When does commercial battery storage need liquid cooling?
Most C&I and community cabinets are IP-rated outdoor enclosures. Once the cabinet is sealed and full of cells, it gets harder to move enough air through it evenly. Liquid cold plates take the heat out at the cell face instead.
Even temperatures across the module
With a distributed channel design, the first cell and the last cell in a module see similar coolant temperatures, so they age at similar rates.
More kWh in the same footprint
There are no air paths to leave between modules, so more of the enclosure volume can be used for cells. That matters on space-limited commercial sites.
Less dust and moisture inside
The heat leaves through a coolant loop, so the cabinet can stay sealed against dust and humidity on regional and coastal sites.
Can the battery and PCS share one coolant loop?
In an all-in-one cabinet, the battery and the PCS usually share one chiller or liquid cooling unit. They want different temperatures, though. Cells prefer a narrow band around 25–35 °C, while IGBT and SiC modules can take a warmer inlet.
We size both sets of cold plates to the same flow and pressure-drop budget. That way the battery branch gets its temperature target and the PCS branch stays within its junction limit.
We can supply the whole loop: cold plates, manifolds and the liquid cooling unit. One supplier means one CFD model and one pressure-drop budget. If you already have a chiller supplier, we can quote only the parts you need.
What is needed to size a commercial battery cabinet cold plate?
Send these and the first DFM response comes back with a channel concept, a predicted ΔP and the open questions.
| Input | Why it matters | Example of what to send |
|---|---|---|
| Cell format & layout | Sets the contact area and the channel routing | Cell datasheet, module drawing, 1P/2P arrangement |
| Duty cycle | Sets the heat load, which depends on C-rate and dwell time | 0.5C two-hour discharge, solar shifting, VPP events |
| Coolant & inlet temperature | Sets the approach temperature and the material choice | 50/50 EGW, chiller set point |
| Flow & ΔP budget | Sets the channel cross-section and the parallel branches | Pump curve, allowable ΔP per module |
| Site ambient & enclosure | Sets the worst-case condition we design to | Peak site ambient, IP rating, solar exposure |
| Volume & ramp | Decides between CAB and FSW, and the tooling plan | Units per year, now and in 3 years |
Commercial and community battery cooling questions
Does a 100 kWh cabinet really need liquid cooling?
It depends on C-rate, cabinet sealing and site ambient. Many 0.5C cabinets in mild climates run on air. Sealed cabinets on hot sites, higher C-rates and designs pushing energy density are where liquid pays off. A DFM review gives you a straight answer for your design.
Can the PCS and battery share one cooling loop?
Yes, and it’s common in all-in-one cabinets. We design both sets of plates to one flow and ΔP budget and check the temperature each branch needs.
Which process suits battery plates, CAB or FSW?
CAB suits larger volumes and thin multi-channel designs. FSW suits thicker plates, structural plates and lower-volume programmes. The approved drawing specifies the process. We don’t assume it from a reference image.
Do you supply the chiller or liquid cooling unit?
Yes. Our BESS liquid cooling units cover about 3–8 kW of cooling. They have IP54 enclosures, RS485/CAN communication and C4 anti-corrosion protection. We can supply a unit with the cold plates and manifolds as one loop, or size the plates to a chiller you already use.
How fast can we get samples into a prototype cabinet?
Custom samples are available from a single piece and typically take 6–8 weeks from an approved drawing.
Do you supply complete commercial battery storage systems?
No. We supply the thermal hardware inside them: battery and PCS cold plates, manifolds and liquid cooling units for Australian battery storage manufacturers and integrators. An engineer reviews every RFQ and replies by email with next steps.
Send your cabinet layout
A module drawing plus a duty cycle is enough to start. We reply with a channel concept, a predicted ΔP and an AUD quotation.
- Cell datasheet & module drawing
- Duty cycle / C-rate
- Coolant & chiller set point
- Site ambient & IP rating
Sources and standards referenced: Standards Australia (AS/NZS standards); Clean Energy Council (battery storage in Australia); energy.gov.au (Australian Government energy information). Specifications on this page come from ToneCooling datasheets; project values are confirmed at quotation.