Motor Vehicle Battery Dummy Cell Cooling Plate Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle batteries face challenges in achieving both high mechanical robustness and effective cooling when a large number of battery cells are combined in a module, as existing solutions fail to provide sufficient mechanical stability and efficient cooling simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves pressing battery cells between first walls at opposite ends and using a dummy cell with a clamping bolt to secure them against a cooling plate, ensuring defined contact and improved mechanical robustness, while a clamping rail and bracing elements enhance the pressing force and cooling efficiency by applying forces perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a large number of battery cells are combined in a battery module, then the energy storage capacity increases, but the mechanical robustness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dummy cell that segments the battery module structure into distinct zones. The dummy cell acts as a structural divider that enhances mechanical robustness while allowing a large number of actual battery cells to be arranged in the module. This segmentation enables the module to maintain strength despite high cell density.
Solution Approach 2:
The dummy cell serves as an intermediary structural element between the battery cells and the cooling plate. It provides a dedicated interface for the clamping bolt to apply pressing forces, mediating the mechanical connection and ensuring uniform distribution of clamping forces across multiple battery cells without requiring direct complex connections to each cell.
2Quantity of substance
If a large number of battery cells are combined in a battery module, then the energy storage capacity increases, but the cooling efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The dummy cell acts as an intermediary that ensures all battery cells in the module make defined contact with the cooling plate. By providing a uniform pressing interface, it enables efficient heat transfer from multiple cells to the cooling plate through the clamping bolt mechanism, maintaining cooling efficiency despite the large number of cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies pressing forces in a second direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the battery module. This dimensional approach allows uniform contact between battery cells and the cooling plate across the entire module, ensuring that heat dissipation is effective throughout the high-density cell arrangement.
3Strength
If battery cells are pressed together with high pressing force, then the mechanical robustness improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dummy cell serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural segmentation, creates a pressing interface for the clamping bolt, ensures uniform contact between battery cells and the cooling plate, and distributes clamping forces across multiple cells. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional complex structural elements while achieving high mechanical robustness.
4Temperature
If all battery cells bear against the cooling plate in a defined manner, then the cooling efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dummy cell serves as a mediator that simplifies the cooling interface. Instead of requiring individual adjustment mechanisms for each battery cell to ensure contact with the cooling plate, the dummy cell with the clamping bolt provides a single unified interface that ensures all cells make defined contact simultaneously, reducing structural complexity while improving cooling efficiency.
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
This configuration achieves high mechanical robustness and effective cooling for a large number of battery cells, ensuring they bear against the cooling plate in a defined manner, thereby maintaining stability and efficient heat dissipation even with a high cell count.
Implementation Method 1
a clamping bolt (23) extends through the dummy cell (22) of the respective battery module (11, 12) and presses the battery cells (13, 14) of the respective battery module (11, 12) together with the cooling plate (18) in a second direction (24) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (20)
Implementation Method 2
a clamping bolt (23) extends through the dummy cell (22) of the respective battery module (11, 12) and presses the battery cells (13, 14) of the respective battery module (11, 12) together with the cooling plate (18) in a second direction (24) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (20)
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle battery having at least one battery module (11, 12) with battery cells (13, 14) positioned one behind the other and bounded by first walls (15) at opposite ends of the battery module (11, 12) and by second walls (16) at opposite longitudinal sides of the battery module (11, 12). Bottom ends of the battery cells (13, 14) bearing against a cooling plate (18). The battery cells (13, 14) of the battery module (11, 12) are pressed together between the first walls (15). A dummy cell (22) is positioned between two adjacent battery cells (13, 14) of the battery module (11, 12). A clamping bolt (23) extends through the dummy cell and presses the battery cells (13, 14) of the battery module (11, 12) against the cooling plate (18) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.