Traction battery arrangement for an electric vehicle and method for assembling such a traction battery arrangement

Abstract

Traction battery assembly (10) for an electric vehicle, comprising a traction battery housing (12) with two mutually parallel vertical housing side walls (18, 20), a battery module carrier plate (14; 14') arranged in the traction battery housing (12), and several battery modules (16) mounted on the battery module carrier plate (14; 14'), characterized in that the two housing side walls (18, 20) each have a guide receptacle (30; 30') on their inner side, which is designed as a hollow profile, and the battery module carrier plate (14; 14') has on each of its two lateral sides a guide body (44; 44') corresponding to the guide receptacles (30; 30'), the outer profile of which corresponds to the hollow profile of the guide receptacles (30; 30'). corresponding, wherein the two guide bodies (44; 44') together with the corresponding guide receptacles (30; 30') form a guide device (46; 46') for the battery module carrier plate (14;14') form, via which the battery module carrier plate (14; 14') can be inserted into the traction battery housing (12) and is stored in the traction battery housing (12) when the traction battery assembly (10) is mounted.;

Description

The invention relates to a traction battery arrangement for an electric vehicle, having a traction battery housing, a battery module carrier plate which is arranged horizontally or else vertically in the traction battery housing, and a plurality of battery modules which are fastened on the battery module carrier plate. The invention further relates to a method for the assembly of such a traction battery arrangement.A traction battery assembly is used to store electrical energy for the electric traction motor of an electric vehicle. Traction motors are generally particularly powerful in order to be able to move heavy electric vehicles, for example electrically driven automobiles, in a reliable and dynamic manner. Furthermore, in particular in electrically driven automobiles, a long range of the electric vehicle is desired. Traction batteries for electric vehicles must therefore have a particularly high storage capacity in order to enable a long range of the electric vehicle despite powerful traction motors. Generally, therefore, traction battery assemblies are used that include multiple battery modules disposed in a traction battery housing.Since only a limited installation space is present in electric vehicles, the traction battery arrangement has to be of space-saving design. For this purpose, a compact arrangement of the battery modules in the traction battery housing is required. In electric vehicles, however, severe vibrations can act on the traction battery arrangement, such that the battery modules must be reliably mounted in the traction battery housing in order to avoid damage to the sensitive battery modules as a result of a collision with the traction battery housing or with other battery modules. In this case, the traction battery arrangement should be of simple construction for cost reasons and should be easy to mount by pre-mounting the modules with the cooling line and the electrical connections. Likewise, in the event of damage, simple replacement of the individual modules should be ensured.US 2015 / 0125722 A1 discloses the structure of a cooled battery module.US 2009 / 0256525 A1 discloses a traction battery arrangement having a traction battery housing into which a plurality of battery modules are inserted. The battery modules each have a carrier plate on which the battery modules are fixed. The carrier plates are supported on proximally projecting rails.DE 44 11 843 A1 discloses a traction battery arrangement which has a plurality of battery modules within its housing, which battery modules are fixed on the housing base.US 2013 / 0143092 A1 discloses a battery storage rack in which a plurality of battery modules are stored.Against this background, it is an object of the invention to provide a reliable and cost-effective traction battery arrangement for an electric vehicle.This object is achieved according to the invention by a traction battery arrangement for an electric vehicle having the features of claim 1.The traction battery arrangement according to the invention for an electric vehicle has a traction battery housing with two housing side walls which are parallel to one another. In general, the traction battery housing has further housing walls, such that the traction battery housing is completely closed in the assembled state of the traction battery arrangement in order to protect the sensitive battery modules from harmful environmental influences, such as dust, dirt or moisture. Generally, the traction battery housing is made of a metal to ensure good electromagnetic compatibility. The traction battery housing made of metal simultaneously offers particularly good mechanical protection of the sensitive battery modules, in particular also in the event of damage to the electric vehicle in the event of a crash.At least one preferably horizontal battery module carrier plate is arranged in the traction battery housing, on which a plurality of battery modules are fastened lying next to one another in a preferably horizontal plane. Preferably, the battery modules are fastened on an upper side of a horizontal battery module support plate. The battery module support plate is generally made of a metal for absorbing large crash loads and for stiffening, and may be thermally connected to the battery modules. For this purpose, special heat-conducting elements can be provided between the battery modules and the battery module support plate. Furthermore, the battery module carrier plate can have special cooling devices for a particularly efficient dissipation of the waste heat generated by the battery modules, for example cooling channels through which a coolant flows. However, cooling directly on the module with the aid of a cooling line pre-mounted on the battery module support plate would also be effective.According to the invention, the two housing side walls each have a guide receptacle on their inner side and the battery module carrier plate has a guide body on each of its two lateral sides. The outer profile of the guide bodies corresponds here to the hollow profile of the guide receptacles, so that the guide bodies of the battery module carrier plate together with the guide receptacles of the housing side walls form a guide device for the battery module carrier plate in the traction battery housing. The guide receptacles extend here, starting from the housing front side in the depth direction of the traction battery housing, substantially over the entire extent of the side walls, such that the battery module carrier plate can be easily inserted into the traction battery housing from the housing front side via the guide device during the assembly of the traction battery arrangement. The traction battery arrangement can thus be produced in a simple manner and consequently cost-effectively. In the assembled state of the traction battery arrangement, the battery module carrier plate is supported by the guiding device according to the invention over a large part of its depth extent in the housing side walls and is thus reliably mounted in the traction battery housing. A play-free mounting can be achieved by incorporating plastic noses on the plate or in the groove, since here a linear contact with constant contact pressure is realized.Preferably, the guide receptacle in the first side wall is arranged at the same vertical height as the guide receptacle in the second side wall. The guide receptacles of the two side walls are thus laterally directly opposite one another, so that the battery module carrier plate is aligned horizontally in the traction battery housing in a simple manner.According to a preferred embodiment, the two housing side walls each have a plurality of guide receptacles which are situated vertically one above the other and via which a plurality of battery module carrier plates are arranged vertically one above the other in the traction battery housing. As a result, a compact traction battery arrangement with a high storage capacity can be realized. In this case, a separate guide device is provided for each battery module carrier plate, with the result that the traction battery arrangement can nevertheless be produced in a simple manner and therefore cost-effectively.Preferably, the guide receptacles each have an L-shaped hollow profile, with a first receptacle section extending substantially horizontally and a second receptacle section adjoining the first receptacle section and extending substantially vertically. Preferably, the second receiving portion extends downward from the first receiving portion. The corresponding guide bodies have a corresponding L-shaped outer profile, with a first guide leg extending substantially horizontally and a second guide leg adjoining the first guide leg and extending substantially vertically. Preferably, the second guide leg extends downward from the first guide leg. As a result, in particular in the lateral direction, exact guidance and positioning of the battery module carrier plate in the traction battery housing is realized. The L-shaped profile of the guide device further prevents, in particular in the event of a crash, the battery module carrier plate from laterally slipping out of the traction battery housing.According to a preferred embodiment, a separate separating element is arranged vertically between the guide body and the guide receptacle, which separating element is preferably made of plastic. The separating element is preferably arranged both on the upper side of the guide body and on the lower side of a horizontal leg of the guide body, so that the guide body is guided directly in the guide receptacle in the vertical direction exclusively via the separating element. The plastic separating element reduces the friction in the guide device, as a result of which the insertion of the battery module carrier plate into the traction battery housing is facilitated. Furthermore, the plastic separating element thermally separates the guide receptacle from the guide body.The battery module carrier plate preferably has a plurality of battery module fastening devices to which the battery modules are screwed. This ensures reliable fastening of the battery modules to the battery module support plate even at high temperatures.According to a preferred embodiment, the battery modules are fastened in a simple manner to the battery module carrier plate via an adhesive connection. The adhesive connection can be provided both as the single fastening means and in combination with other fastening means.Preferably, the housing side walls are each formed from a plurality of structurally identical side wall modules, each of which has only a single guide receptacle. Due to the modular construction of the housing side walls, the traction battery housing can be designed in a simple manner for a different number of battery module supports. As a result, the traction battery arrangement according to the invention can be scaled in a simple manner in order to meet various requirement profiles.According to a preferred embodiment, the traction battery housing has a housing rear wall with a plug-in groove, and the battery module carrier plate has a plug-in body corresponding to the plug-in groove on its rear side. In the assembled state of the traction battery arrangement, the plug-in body dips at least partially into the plug-in groove, with the result that the battery module carrier plate is also supported on its rear side in the traction battery housing. This creates a particularly reliable mounting of the battery module carrier plate in the traction battery housing.Particularly preferably, the housing rear wall is formed from a plurality of identically constructed rear wall modules, each of which has only a single plug-in groove. This allows reliable mounting of the battery module carrier plate in the traction battery housing, wherein the traction battery arrangement is scalable in a simple manner.A method for the assembly of a traction battery arrangement according to the invention has the following method steps:pre-assembly of a housing frame, which comprises at least the two housing side walls and the housing rear wall and is open on a front side,fastening the battery modules to the battery module support plate,inserting the pre-assembled battery module carrier plate into the pre-assembled housing frame via the guide device, andclosing the traction battery housing by attaching at least one front side cover to the housing frame.This assembly method allows the traction battery arrangement to be assembled efficiently and cost-effectively. In general, during the preassembly of the housing frame, a housing base wall and a housing top wall are also fastened to the housing frame, which cover wall close the housing frame on the underside and on the upper side. Alternatively, however, the housing bottom wall and the housing top wall can also be attached to the housing frame together with the housing cover in the last assembly step. If a plurality of battery module support plates are provided for the traction battery arrangement, then preferably all battery module support plates are pre-assembled and then pushed together or one after the other into the traction battery housing. The extruded profiles of the outer housing wall can be identical components, whereby costs can be saved.Various exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the enclosed figures. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a traction battery arrangement according to the invention, wherein a traction battery housing is open on the upper side, FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the traction battery assembly of FIG. 1 with the traction battery housing open on the front side, FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a section of the traction battery arrangement from FIG. 1 cut along the plane III-III, FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a detail of a guide device of the traction battery arrangement from FIG. 1, FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a detail of an alternative guiding device according to the invention of the traction battery arrangement from FIG. 1, having an L-shaped profile and a separate separating element.The traction battery arrangement 10 according to the invention comprises a multipart traction battery housing 12 and a plurality of battery module carrier plates 14. A plurality of battery modules 16 are fastened on the battery module carrier plates 14, respectively.The traction battery housing 12 comprises two vertical housing side walls 18, 20 parallel to one another, a vertical housing rear wall 22 and a vertical housing cover 24.The housing side walls 18, 20 are each composed of a plurality of identical side wall modules 26 which are stacked one above the other in the vertical direction and are connected to one another. The side wall modules 26 each have a guide receptacle 30, which in the present exemplary embodiment has a substantially rectangular hollow profile. The side wall modules 26 are arranged in such a way that the two housing side walls 18, 20 each have on their inner side an identical number of guide receptacles 30 lying vertically one above the other. In this case, the guide receptacles 30 in the first housing side wall 18 are arranged at the same lateral heights Yn, Ym as the guide receptacles 30 in the second housing side wall 20, so that two guide receptacles 30 are always laterally directly opposite one another.The housing rear wall 22 is composed of a plurality of identical rear wall modules 28, which are stacked one above the other in the vertical direction and are connected to one another. The rear wall modules 28 each have a plug-in groove 32 on their inner side. The rear wall modules 28 are arranged in such a way that the housing rear wall 22 has on its inner side a plurality of plug-in grooves 32 which are situated vertically one above the other.The number of the rear wall modules 28 stacked vertically one above the other and of the side wall modules 26 stacked vertically one above the other corresponds here in each case to the number of the battery module carrier plates 14 stacked vertically one above the other.The two housing side walls 18, 20 are connected to the housing rear wall 22 via housing connecting elements 34. The housing side walls 18, 20, the housing rear wall 22, and the housing connectors 34 form a housing frame 36 to which the housing cover 24 is attachable in order to close the traction battery housing 12 on its front side.The battery module carrier plates 14 each have a plurality of battery module fastening devices 38 on their upper side, to which the battery modules 16 are fastened by means of screws 40. Each battery module 16 is additionally fastened on its vertical underside to the battery module carrier plate 14 via an adhesive connection 42.All battery module carrier plates 14 have on both lateral sides a guide body 44 corresponding to the guide receptacles 30. In the present exemplary embodiment, the two guide bodies 44 are formed in a simple manner by the two lateral ends of the battery module carrier plate 14. The two guide bodies 44 of an individual battery module carrier plate 14 together with a pair of laterally opposite guide receptacles 30 of the two housing side walls 18, 20 form a guide device 46. the battery module carrier plate 14 can be pushed horizontally into the traction battery housing 12 during the assembly of the traction battery arrangement 10 via the guide device 46 and is mounted in the traction battery housing 12 in the assembled state of the traction battery arrangement 10.The battery module carrier plates 14 each have, on their rear side facing the housing rear wall 22, a plug-in body 48 which, in the assembled state of the traction battery arrangement 10, dips at least partially into the corresponding plug-in groove 32 of the housing rear wall 22.During the assembly of the traction battery arrangement 10, the housing frame 36 is preassembled from the side wall modules 26, the rear wall modules 28 and the housing connecting elements 34 in an assembly step. In a separate assembly step, the battery modules 16 are fastened to the corresponding battery module support plates 14. Subsequently, all battery module carrier plates 14 with the battery modules 16 fastened thereon are each inserted via their guide device 46 into the pre-assembled housing frame 36. Finally, the traction battery housing 12 is sealed by fastening the housing cover 24 to the housing frame 36 on the front side.FIG. 5 shows a detail of an alternative guide device 46' according to the invention. The guide receptacle 30' of the guide device 46' has an L-shaped hollow profile which has a first receptacle section 50 which extends substantially horizontally and is open proximally and a second receptacle section 52 which adjoins the first receptacle section 50 and extends substantially vertically downwards. The guide body 44' of the guide device 46' has an L-shaped outer profile which has a first guide leg 54 extending substantially horizontally and a second guide leg 56 adjoining the first guide leg 54 and extending substantially vertically downward.Arranged vertically between the guide receptacle 30' and the guide body 44' is a separate separating element 58, which consists of plastic and is fastened to the horizontal first guide leg 54 of the guide body 44'. The separating element 58 extends both on the upper side of the first guide leg 54 and on the lower side of the first guide leg 54 The guide body 44' is guided in the vertical direction exclusively via the separating element 58 in the guide receptacle 30'.

Claims

Traction battery arrangement (10) for an electric vehicle, having a traction battery housing (12) with two mutually parallel vertical housing side walls (18, 20), a battery module carrier plate (14; 14') which is arranged in the traction battery housing (12), and a plurality of battery modules (16) which are fastened to the battery module carrier plate (14; 14'), characterized in that the two housing side walls (18, 20) each have, on their inner side, a guide receptacle (30; 30') which is designed as a hollow profile, the battery module carrier plate (14; 14') each has, on its two lateral sides, a guide body (44; 44') which corresponds to the guide receptacles (30; 30') and the outer profile of which corresponds to the hollow profile of the guide receptacles (30; 30'), wherein the two guide bodies (44; 44'), together with the corresponding guide receptacles (30; 30'), form a guide device (46; 46') for the battery module support plate (14; 14'), via which the battery module support plate (14; 14') can be pushed into the traction battery housing (12) and is mounted in the traction battery housing (12) in the assembled state of the traction battery arrangement (10).The traction battery assembly (10) for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guide seat (30; 30') in the first side wall (18) is arranged at the same vertical height (Yn, Ym) as the guide seat (30; 30') in the second side wall (20).Traction battery arrangement (10) for an electric vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the two housing side walls (18, 20) each have a plurality of guide receptacles (30; 30') which are situated vertically one above the other and via which a plurality of battery module carrier plates (14; 14') are arranged vertically one above the other in the traction battery housing (12).Traction battery arrangement (10) for an electric vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide receptacles (30') each have an L-shaped hollow profile, with a substantially horizontally extending first receptacle section (50) and a second receptacle section (52) adjoining the first receptacle section and extending substantially vertically.Traction battery arrangement (10) for an electric vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a separate separating element (58), which preferably consists of plastic, is arranged vertically between the guide body (44') and the guide receptacle (30').Traction battery arrangement (10) for an electric vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the battery module carrier plate (14; 14') has a plurality of battery module fastening devices (38), to which the battery modules (16) are screwed.Traction battery arrangement (10) for an electric vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the battery modules (16) are fastened to the battery module carrier plate (14; 14') via an adhesive connection (42).Traction battery arrangement (10) for an electric vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing side walls (18, 20) are each formed from a plurality of structurally identical side wall modules (26; 26'), which each have only a single guide receptacle (30; 30').Traction battery arrangement (10) for an electric vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the traction battery housing (12) has a housing rear wall (22) with a plug-in groove (32), and the battery module carrier plate (14; 14') has on its rear side a plug-in body (48) which corresponds to the plug-in groove (32) and which, in the assembled state of the traction battery arrangement (10), dips at least partially into the plug-in groove (32).Traction battery arrangement (10) for an electric vehicle according to Claim 9, wherein the housing rear wall (22) is formed from a plurality of rear wall modules (28) of identical construction, each of which has only a single plug-in groove (32).Method for the assembly of a traction battery arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, having the following method steps: - pre-assembly of a housing frame (36) which comprises at least the two housing side walls (18, 20) and the housing rear wall (22) and is open on a front side, - fastening of the battery modules (16) to the battery module carrier plate (14; 14'), - insertion of the pre-assembled battery module carrier plate (14; 14') into the pre-assembled housing frame (36) via the guide device (46; 46'), and - closing of the traction battery housing (12) by attaching at least one front side cover (24) to the housing frame (36).

Images