Prismatic Battery Cell Case Structure for Bulging Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prismatic battery cells face bulging issues due to excessive heat and pressure accumulation, leading to potential damage from electrode assembly swelling, which compromises the strength and stability of the battery cell case.
Innovation Solution
The battery cell incorporates a case with reinforced corner portions and a planar portion, featuring support sleeves and protrusions, manufactured through impact extrusion and ironing processes, to effectively press the electrode assembly and mitigate bulging by distributing pressure more evenly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the case is formed to be thinner to reduce the weight of the battery cell, then the weight is reduced, but the strength of the case decreases making it easily modified when swelling occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The case is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, featuring thicker corner portions and planar portions with specific thicknesses greater than the minimum required thickness. This local quality variation allows the case to maintain overall light weight while providing enhanced strength and resistance to bulging at critical locations where swelling forces are concentrated.
2Strength
If the case thickness is increased to prevent bulging, then the strength is improved, but the weight of the battery cell increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than uniformly increasing case thickness throughout, the invention applies increased thickness locally at corner portions and planar portions where bulging resistance is most needed. This selective thickening provides the necessary strength improvement while minimizing the overall weight penalty that would result from uniform thickening.
3Ease of manufacture
If the case structure is simplified to reduce manufacturing complexity, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the ability to prevent bulging is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The case is segmented into distinct functional zones including corner portions with specific thicknesses and planar portions with different thicknesses. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific function (corner portions for structural integrity and bulge resistance, planar portions for weight optimization) while maintaining manufacturability through standardized forming processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery cell including an electrode assembly and a case accommodating the electrode assembly is provided. The case includes a plurality of corner portions and a planar portion disposed between the plurality of corner portions, and the planar portion is configured to press the electrode assembly, when the electrode assembly swells.