NEWBASE Energy Storage Liquid Cooling Units: Stable Thermal Control for Containerised Battery Systems

Battery energy storage systems live or die by temperature. As containerised ESS installations scale up, the heat load of densely packed cells rises with them, and the cooling system has to remove that heat continuously and efficiently while remaining simple to install and maintain. NEWBASE liquid cooling units were developed for exactly this container environment, drawing on the company’s experience in commercial-vehicle thermal management to keep battery cells inside a safe, stable temperature band around the clock.

Each unit is a self-contained chilled-water loop: a high-efficiency rotary compressor, a compact parallel-flow micro-channel condenser, a stainless-steel plate heat exchanger, an electronic expansion valve, a variable-speed circulation pump and a controller, all integrated into one rugged, open-frame cabinet for easy servicing. Coolant — a 50% glycol-water solution — circulates through the loop to absorb battery heat and reject it outdoors, holding the supplied temperature within a 10°C to 35°C control range and operating across an ambient span of –30°C to 55°C. The compact 5 kW vertical model moves 50 L/min of coolant and measures just 274 mm wide so it fits directly into a battery rack.

Efficiency and uptime are designed in. A fully variable-frequency control approach trims energy use while maintaining accurate temperature — the 40 kW model reaches a rated coefficient of performance of about 2.0 — and an optional PTC electric heater supports cold-start in winter. Electrical and key components are protected up to IPX5 to IP55 depending on model, running noise is held around 73 to 75 dB(A), and the floor-standing 40 kW cabinet measures 980 × 630 × 2400 mm with a 64 mm quick-coupling water interface for straightforward site plumbing. Units restart automatically after a power interruption, remembering their pre-outage state, and a RS-485 Modbus or CAN interface exposes alarms and protections for remote monitoring and smart operation-and-maintenance.

The range covers a broad span of cooling capacity, from a compact 5 kW vertical unit that slots into a battery rack to a 40 kW floor-standing cabinet rated 45°C ambient / 18°C supply, with larger variable-frequency integrated units at 60 kW and above for bigger containers. Every capacity is matched by full-system refrigeration testing before it leaves the factory, so the components work together at their best. The table below lists the two representative models; other capacities, high-altitude ratings and custom power specifications are available on request.

Key Models

Parameter	5 kW Vertical Unit	40 kW Integrated Unit
Rated Cooling Capacity	5.0 kW	40 kW
Refrigerant	R410A	R410A
Coolant	50% glycol-water	50% glycol-water
Operating Ambient	–30 to 55 °C	–30 to 55 °C
Supply Control Range	10 to 35 °C	18 °C supply @ 45 °C ambient
Coolant Flow	50 L/min @ 90 kPa	360 L/min
Protection	IPX5	IP55
Communications	RS-485, Modbus-RTU	RS485 / CAN

Because the right configuration depends on container size, cell layout and local climate, we recommend a short technical discussion before selection. Contact the NEWBASE team and we will help you specify the right liquid cooling unit and provide a tailored proposal for your energy storage project.