Prediction on thermal performance of refrigerant-based battery thermal management system for a HEV battery pack

•Thermal performance of refrigerant-based battery thermal management system for a real HEV battery pack is analyzed.•Effect of battery discharging C-rate, refrigerant mass flow rate, inlet temperature, vapor quality, and heating power on thermal performance of battery pack is studied.•Thermal performance of battery pack at real driving cycle operational conditions for refrigerant cooling is discussed.•Heat flow distribution on the battery pack at different discharging C-rates is analyzed.