Secondary Battery Can With Non-Uniform Thickness And Rounded Corners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Secondary batteries face challenges in mechanical strength and reliability due to inadequate design of the can housing the electrode assembly, which can lead to issues with external shocks and internal swelling, affecting their operational integrity.
Innovation Solution
The design of the can features distinct thicknesses for its side and bottom surfaces, along with connection parts that gradually change thickness, providing enhanced structural strength and sealing through a hexahedral shape with specific curvature radii and rounded corners, and the use of metal materials like aluminum for the can and cap plate, ensuring secure internal sealing and insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the can has uniform thickness throughout, then manufacturing is simple, but mechanical strength is insufficient to resist external shocks and internal swelling
Solution Approach 1:
The can is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, where the bottom surface has greater thickness than the side surfaces. This local variation in thickness provides enhanced mechanical strength at the bottom surface which experiences greater stress from internal swelling and external shocks, while maintaining simpler geometry elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The corners of the can are rounded with specific curvature radii rather than being sharp edges. This curvature design distributes stress more evenly during external shocks and prevents stress concentration that would occur at sharp corners, thereby improving overall mechanical strength and resistance to deformation.
2Strength
If the can has thicker walls for strength, then resistance to external shocks improves, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly thickening all walls, the design concentrates additional material thickness specifically at the bottom surface where it is most needed for resisting internal swelling and external shocks. The side surfaces maintain thinner walls, optimizing the weight-strength ratio by placing material only where structurally necessary.
3Manufacturing precision
If the can has sharp corners for precise manufacturing, then manufacturing precision is high, but reliability under shock loads decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The corners are designed with rounded contours defined by specific curvature radii rather than sharp edges. This curvature eliminates stress concentration points that would form at sharp corners during impact events, significantly improving reliability under shock loads while remaining compatible with standard manufacturing processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly, a can housing the electrode assembly, the can having a long axis and a short axis, and a cap plate that seals an opening of the can. The can includes a first side surface and a second side surface that face each other so as to correspond to the short axis of the can, the first side surface and the second side surface having a first thickness, a third side surface and a fourth side surface that face each other so as to correspond to the long axis of the can, the third side surface and the fourth side surface having a second thickness, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness, and a bottom surface that is located opposite the opening of the can and contacts the first through fourth side surfaces, the bottom surface having a third thickness.