Battery Cell Wedge Fixing for Thermal Decoupling and Tolerance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion batteries generate heat during energy release, causing thermal management challenges, and manufacturing tolerances lead to stress and swelling, necessitating effective fixing and thermal decoupling solutions.
Innovation Solution
A pair of wedge bodies, comprising a wedge body and a counter-wedge body, are used to fix and position components within a housing, providing thermal insulation and tolerance compensation, with features like recesses and locking elements to maintain stability and reduce thermal conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a battery cell stack is fixed directly to the housing bottom using thermally conductive adhesive, then thermal management is improved, but manufacturing tolerances cause stress and swelling issues
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge bodies serve as intermediary elements between the battery cell stack and the housing. They provide mechanical fixation while incorporating thermal insulation properties, thus mediating between the conflicting requirements of thermal management and stress reduction. The wedge bodies are positioned in wedge-shaped spaces created by inclined housing walls, allowing them to secure the cell stack without direct thermal contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation system is segmented into multiple components: the housing with inclined walls, the wedge bodies, and the battery cell stack. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function - the housing provides structural support and thermal isolation, the wedge bodies provide mechanical fixation, and the cell stack focuses on energy storage, thereby resolving the conflict between thermal management and stress prevention.
2Manufacturing precision
If wedge bodies are used to fix and position the battery cell stack, then tolerance compensation and thermal decoupling are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing walls are designed with specific inclination angles (e.g., 5-15 degrees) to create wedge-shaped spaces. This parameter change in the housing geometry automatically generates the necessary wedge spaces for positioning, simplifying the overall structure while achieving precise tolerance compensation. The inclined walls transform dimensional tolerances into angular relationships that naturally accommodate manufacturing variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge bodies serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide mechanical fixation of the battery cell stack, compensate for manufacturing tolerances through their positioning in wedge-shaped spaces, and provide thermal decoupling by being made of thermally insulating material. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby managing device complexity while achieving multiple objectives.
3Temperature
If thermally insulating material is used for wedge bodies, then thermal decoupling is improved, but heat transfer from battery to housing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of heat transfer (which could damage the housing) into a benefit by using thermally insulating wedge bodies. The insulation material prevents excessive heat from reaching the housing, protecting it while still allowing controlled thermal management. The wedge-shaped geometry further benefits from this by creating air gaps that enhance thermal isolation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The wedge bodies effectively fix and position components, ensuring thermal decoupling and tolerance compensation, reducing heat transfer and maintaining component stability, while being cost-effective and straightforward to install.
Implementation Method 1
the counter wedge body section is arranged inclined at least regionally to the component section such that the wedge body forms a wedge body end and a wedge body tip... for generating a wedge force... for fixing and positioning at least one component
Implementation Method 2
The battery cell stack can be bonded to a bottom of the housing using a thermally conductive adhesive
Implementation Method 3
The wedge body and/or the counter-wedge body can be made of a thermally insulating plastic. Thus, a heat flow between the housing and at least one component can be kept particularly low
Data Source
AI summary
An electrochemical energy storage system including a housing having an interior space, a component, and a wedge body pair. The wedge body pair includes a wedge body having a wedge body tip and a wedge body end, and the wedge body includes a component section at least regionally on the component arranged in the interior space of the housing. The wedge body pair also includes a counter-wedge body having a counter-wedge body tip and a counter-wedge body end. The counter-wedge body is arranged with a housing section at least regionally on a housing inner wall of the housing. The wedge body is arranged with a counter-wedge body section at least regionally on a wedge body section of the counter-wedge body in order to generate a wedge force for fixing and positioning the component arranged in the interior space of the housing.