Battery housing for a drive battery of a vehicle, and manufacture of said battery housing

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery housing for a drive battery of a vehicle, and to the manufacture of said battery housing. The proposed invention relates to a manufacturing method (100) for manufacturing a battery housing (200) for a drive battery (501) of a vehicle (500), wherein the manufacturing method (100) comprises providing (101) a battery frame (300), providing (103) at least one cooling plate (400) and forming (105) the battery housing (200) by virtue of the at least one cooling plate (400) being arranged on the battery frame (300), wherein the at least one cooling plate (400) comprises a base panel (401) and a cooling meander panel (403), wherein the cooling meander panel (403), in conjunction with the base panel (401), forms a number of cooling channels (405) for conducting coolant through the at least one cooling plate (400), and wherein the at least one cooling plate (400) is welded or adhesively bonded to the battery frame (300).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Battery housing for a vehicle drive battery and its manufacture

[0003] The presented invention relates to a manufacturing method for producing a battery housing for a drive battery of a vehicle, a battery housing for a drive battery of a vehicle and a vehicle according to the appended claims.

[0004] Battery housings are typically manufactured as trays filled with battery cells and then sealed with a sheet metal cover. Cooling channels for cooling the battery cells are usually incorporated into the tray.

[0005] Furthermore, CN 205376596 U discloses a holder for holding a battery on a vehicle. This holder is arranged from below on a support structure to secure the battery between the support structure and the holder. The holder is essentially flat and open to the environment. A cooling element for conducting coolant is arranged on the holder.

[0006] Furthermore, devices for securing a battery to a vehicle are known from CN 114792864 A, CN 113745179 A, ​​EP 3291358 A1, CN 114024076 A and DE 102018131376 A1.

[0007] Within the scope of the invention presented, a manufacturing method for producing a battery housing for a drive battery of a vehicle, a battery housing for a drive battery of a vehicle, and a vehicle are presented. Further features and details of the invention emerge from the respective subclaims, the description, and the drawings. Features and details described in connection with the manufacturing method according to the invention naturally also apply in connection with the battery housing according to the invention or the vehicle according to the invention, and vice versa, so that with regard to the disclosure of the individual aspects of the invention, reference is always made to each other.

[0008] Against this background, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved possibility for securely arranging a drive battery on a vehicle. Thus, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a manufacturing method for producing a battery housing for a drive battery of a vehicle is presented.

[0009] The presented manufacturing method comprises providing a battery frame, providing at least one cooling plate and forming the battery housing by arranging the at least one cooling plate on the battery frame, wherein the at least one cooling plate comprises a base plate and a cooling meander plate, wherein the cooling meander plate in conjunction with the base plate forms a number of cooling channels for conducting coolant through the at least one cooling plate, wherein the at least one cooling plate is welded or glued to the battery frame.

[0010] In the context of the present invention, a battery housing is understood to be a container that completely accommodates a battery. A battery housing is completely closed or sealable, so that a battery arranged in a battery housing is protected against environmental influences, in particular, shielded in a fluid-tight manner.

[0011] The battery housing provided according to the invention serves to accommodate and protect a drive battery and is correspondingly large, for example, depending on the application, between 50 cm and 250 cm long and between 50 cm and 250 cm wide.

[0012] The invention is based on a battery frame, i.e., a rigid structure that forms a shell of the battery housing. Together with the at least one cooling plate provided according to the invention, which can form a base and / or a cover, the battery housing according to the invention is formed, into which a drive battery can be inserted and which completely encloses the drive battery at least at its base and side surfaces.

[0013] The at least one cooling plate provided according to the invention has a dual function, namely, on the one hand, forming a base or cover of the battery housing and, on the other hand, providing coolant channels for controlling the temperature of a drive battery arranged in the battery housing. For this purpose, each cooling plate comprises two sheets, namely a base sheet and a cooling meander sheet. Accordingly, the battery frame can be formed independently of the cooling channels, for example, as a tool-made component without undercuts. The cooling meander sheet forms a three-dimensional, for example, embossed structure, which, together with the base sheet, provides coolant channels. Accordingly, a cooling plate formed in this way is particularly rigid and stable.

[0014] Accordingly, the at least one cooling plate can be designed to support a drive battery. For this purpose, the at least one cooling plate can comprise support structures, which are formed, for example, on the base plate.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally, the base plate can be thicker than the cooling meander plate.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, the battery frame may form a support that is connected to the at least one cooling plate to support the cooling plate so that the cooling plate holds a respective drive battery.

[0017] To connect a respective cooling plate to the battery frame, the cooling plate can be welded to the battery frame, creating a particularly tight and robust connection.

[0018] Alternatively, a cooling plate can be glued to the battery frame, creating a dynamically decoupled connection that, for example, has a dampening effect against mechanical stress.

[0019] It can be provided that the battery frame is open at the top and bottom before the at least one cooling plate is arranged.

[0020] A battery frame that is open at the top and bottom, especially a battery frame that is free of undercuts, can be easily and quickly produced as a one-piece component in a die-casting process. A battery frame that is open at the top and bottom can be easily formed into a tray or battery housing by arranging a cooling plate. Accordingly, complex geometric arrangements, such as coolant channels in the battery frame, can be dispensed with.

[0021] It can further be provided that the at least one cooling plate is arranged fluid-tight on the battery frame in a welding process from the following list of welding processes: friction stir welding, laser welding, gas inert gas welding.

[0022] In particular, friction stir welding has proven to be a suitable method for the fluid-tight arrangement of a cooling plate on a battery frame made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, since friction stir welding does not require any additional material input and is therefore particularly dimensionally stable.

[0023] It can further be provided that the at least one cooling plate is arranged as a base and / or cover on the battery frame.

[0024] In particular, a battery housing comprising two cooling plates, one as a cover and one as a base, has proven to be particularly suitable for the thermal conditioning of a drive battery arranged in the battery housing.

[0025] It may further be provided that a plurality of cooling plates can be arranged on one side of the battery frame to together form a bottom or a lid of the battery housing.

[0026] In order to provide a particularly resilient and thermally optimized structure, a plurality of cooling plates can be used to form a cover or a base, so that, for example, respective cooling plates engage between respective support struts of the battery frame and / or form coolant channels with different densities.

[0027] It can further be provided that, in order to provide the at least one cooling plate, the cooling meander sheet is formed in a stamping process and welded, glued, screwed and / or riveted onto the base sheet.

[0028] A stamping process has proven to be a simple and reliable method for forming a spatial geometry of the coolant channels of the cooling meander sheet.

[0029] It may further be provided that the battery frame is provided as a one-piece component.

[0030] To form the battery frame in one piece, it can be manufactured using a die-casting process, for example.

[0031] It may further be provided that the battery frame is provided in an aluminum die-casting process.

[0032] A battery frame made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy is particularly light and stable, making it particularly suitable for securing a battery to a vehicle. According to a second aspect, the presented invention relates to a battery housing for a vehicle's drive battery.

[0033] The battery housing comprises a battery frame and at least one cooling plate, wherein the at least one cooling plate comprises a base plate and a cooling meander plate, wherein the cooling meander plate in conjunction with the base plate forms a number of cooling channels for conducting coolant through the at least one cooling plate, and wherein the at least one cooling plate is welded or glued to the battery frame.

[0034] The presented manufacturing process is used in particular for the production of the presented battery housing.

[0035] According to a third aspect, the presented invention relates to a vehicle, wherein the vehicle comprises a possible embodiment of the presented battery housing.

[0036] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which describes embodiments of the invention in detail with reference to the drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description may be essential to the invention individually or in any combination. They show:

[0037] Figure 1 shows a possible embodiment of the presented manufacturing process,

[0038] Figure 2 shows a possible design of the presented battery housing,

[0039] Figure 3 shows a possible design of a battery frame,

[0040] Figure 4 shows a possible design of a cooling plate,

[0041] Figure 5 shows a possible design of the presented vehicle.

[0042] Figure 1 shows a sequence of the presented manufacturing method 100 for producing a battery housing for a drive battery of a vehicle.

[0043] The manufacturing method 100 comprises a first provision step 101, in which a battery frame is provided, for example, in an aluminum die-casting process. Furthermore, the manufacturing method 100 comprises a second provision step 103, in which at least one cooling plate is provided, for example, by connecting a base plate to a stamped cooling meander plate.

[0044] Furthermore, the manufacturing method 100 comprises a forming step 105 in which the battery housing is formed by arranging the at least one cooling plate on the battery frame.

[0045] Accordingly, it is provided that the at least one cooling plate comprises a base plate and a cooling meander plate, wherein the cooling meander plate in conjunction with the base plate forms a number of cooling channels for conducting coolant through the at least one cooling plate.

[0046] To connect the cooling plate to the battery frame, at least one cooling plate can be welded or glued to the battery frame.

[0047] Figure 2 shows a battery housing 200. The battery housing 200 comprises a battery frame 300, shown in detail in Figure 3, and a cooling plate 400, shown in detail in Figure 4.

[0048] The battery housing 200 is configured to accommodate and completely enclose a drive battery and to temperature control it by means of temperature control medium circulating in the cooling plate 400.

[0049] Figure 3 shows the battery frame 300 in detail. The battery frame 300 is in this case made of one piece, i.e., monolithic, made of, for example, a single piece of metal, and comprises an outer wall 301, which forms an outer shell of the battery housing 200, and a plurality of inner struts 303, which form a plurality of compartments 305 for accommodating battery cells or battery bars.

[0050] Figure 4 shows the cooling plate 400 in detail. The cooling plate 400 comprises a base plate 401 and a cooling meander plate 403.

[0051] The cooling meander plate 403 is spatially formed by a stamping process and, together with the base plate 401, forms cooling channels 405 and, optionally, a distributor geometry 407 for connecting a coolant supply.

[0052] Figure 5 shows a vehicle 500. The vehicle 500 includes the battery frame 300, in which a drive battery 501 is arranged.

[0053] Manufacturing process first preparation step second preparation step formation step battery housing battery frame

[0054] exterior wall

[0055] inner struts

[0056] Compartment cooling plate base plate cooling meander plate cooling channel

[0057] Distributor geometry vehicle

[0058] traction battery

Claims

Claims 1. Manufacturing method (100) for producing a battery housing (200) for a drive battery (501) of a vehicle (500), the manufacturing method (100) comprising: Providing (101) a battery frame (300), Providing (103) at least one cooling plate (400), Forming (105) the battery housing (200) by arranging the at least one cooling plate (400) on the battery frame (300), wherein the at least one cooling plate (400) comprises a base plate (401) and a cooling meander plate (403), wherein the cooling meander plate (403) in conjunction with the base plate (401) forms a number of cooling channels (405) for conducting coolant through the at least one cooling plate (400), wherein the at least one cooling plate (400) is welded or glued to the battery frame (300).

2. Manufacturing method (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the battery frame (300) is open at the top and bottom before the at least one cooling plate (400) is arranged.

3. Manufacturing method (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one cooling plate (400) is arranged fluid-tight on the battery frame (300) in a welding process from the following list of welding processes: friction stir welding, laser welding, inert gas welding.

4. Manufacturing method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one cooling plate (400) is arranged as a base and / or cover on the battery frame (300).

5. Manufacturing method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of cooling plates (400) are arranged on one side of the battery frame (300) to together form a bottom or a lid of the battery case (200).

6. Manufacturing method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in order to provide the at least one cooling plate (400), the cooling meander sheet (403) is formed in a stamping process and welded, glued, screwed and / or riveted onto the base sheet (401).

7. Manufacturing method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the battery frame (300) is provided as a one-piece component.

8. Manufacturing method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the battery frame (300) is provided in an aluminum die-casting process.

9. Battery housing (200) for a drive battery (501) of a vehicle (500), wherein the battery housing (200) comprises: a battery frame (300), at least one cooling plate (400), wherein the at least one cooling plate (400) comprises a base plate (401) and a cooling meander plate (403), wherein the cooling meander plate (403) in conjunction with the base plate (401) forms a number of cooling channels (405) for conducting coolant through the at least one cooling plate (400), and wherein the at least one cooling plate (400) is welded or glued to the battery frame (300).

10. Battery housing (200) according to claim 9, characterized in that the battery housing (200) is manufactured by a manufacturing method (100) according to one of claims 1 to 8.

11. Vehicle (500), wherein the vehicle (500) comprises a battery housing (200) according to claim 9 or 10.

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