An energy-efficient battery thermal management system incorporating a porous metal-based multiscale flow manifold

•An energy-efficient battery thermal management system (BTMS) is proposed.•Multiscale flow manifold connected to a porous metal layer is parametrically designed.•Thermohydraulic performance is evaluated by numerical and experimental methods.•Uniform battery temperature distribution is demonstrated at the low flow rate range.•Total battery capacity versus the cooling energy consumption is analyzed compared to other BTMSs.