Failure Mechanism of Airtightness Detection Caused by Corrosion-Induced Clogging in Power Battery Liquid Cooling Plates

Enhan Wen; Yan Shi; Wei Shi; Yuan Qin; Jiayi Gong; Anliang Gou; Hao Peng; Shengtao Yin; Tianxiang Liu

doi:10.6919/ICJE.202607_12(7).0015

Authors

Enhan Wen School of Mechanical Engineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Yibin 644000, China
Yan Shi School of Mechanical Engineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Yibin 644000, China;Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Mine Tailings Resource Utilization, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Yibin 644000, China
Wei Shi Runthrough Heat Exchange Co. Ltd, Yibin 644000, China
Yuan Qin School of Mechanical Engineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Yibin 644000, China
Jiayi Gong School of Mechanical Engineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Yibin 644000, China
Anliang Gou Runthrough Heat Exchange Co. Ltd, Yibin 644000, China
Hao Peng School of Mechanical Engineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Yibin 644000, China
Shengtao Yin School of Mechanical Engineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Yibin 644000, China
Tianxiang Liu School of Mechanical Engineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Yibin 644000, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6919/ICJE.202607_12(7).0015

Keywords:

Liquid Cooling Plate; Galvanic Corrosion; Multi-Physics Simulation; Corrosion Product Deposition; Failure of Airtightness Detection.

Abstract

Leakage detection of coolant is critical for the safe operation and maintenance of power battery liquid cooling systems. However, a false‑negative phenomenon has frequently been observed in engineering practice: dry‑air airtightness tests indicate acceptable sealing performance even though corrosion-induced perforation has already occurred. To reveal the underlying mechanism, a multi‑physics coupling model integrating electrochemical corrosion, ionic transport, precipitation kinetics, and porous seepage was developed based on an actual field failure case. Accelerated galvanic corrosion experiments were further conducted to validate the corrosion morphology and failure mode. The results demonstrate that galvanic corrosion between the aluminum liquid cooling plate and the steel battery enclosure leads to the formation of an occluded corrosion cell. Hydrolysis of Al³⁺ ions induces an autocatalytic “dissolution–acidification–accelerated dissolution” cycle, which continuously promotes localized corrosion growth. Meanwhile, Al³⁺ and OH⁻ ions accumulate near the defect channel and lead to preferential precipitation of Al(OH)₃ corrosion products. The local deposition density reaches approximately 1321 kg/m³ , causing the permeability of the leakage channel to decrease from 10⁻¹¹ m² to below 10⁻¹⁵ m². Consequently, the seepage capacity of the leakage path is essentially lost. To quantitatively evaluate the risk of leakage misdetection, a False‑Negative Index (FNI) is proposed. When FNI exceeds 0.99, conventional dry‑air airtightness testing becomes incapable of identifying existing leakage defects. Furthermore, three‑dimensional airtightness simulations show good agreement with experimental measurements, with pressure‑drop deviations below 8%. The proposed mechanism successfully explains the contradiction between actual corrosion perforation and qualified airtightness test results. The findings provide theoretical support for leakage diagnosis, corrosion prevention, and safety‑oriented design of battery liquid cooling systems.

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