Traction Battery Pack Endplate Assembly for Cell Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery cells in electrified vehicle packs expand over time, posing challenges in maintaining optimal operational forces and preventing issues like lithium plating, seal ruptures, and delamination, as existing structures struggle to accommodate volumetric changes.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack assembly featuring endplates slidably coupled to tension members and compressible members between the endplates and the enclosure, allowing the endplates to move and compress the compressible members as the battery cells expand, maintaining desired forces and accommodating volumetric changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rigid structures are used to hold battery cells, then structural stability is improved, but the ability to accommodate battery cell expansion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the endplates slidable relative to the tension members, allowing the structure to dynamically adjust and accommodate battery cell expansion while maintaining structural stability through the tension member's mechanical constraint
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the compressible member from uncompressed to compressed as battery cells expand, allowing the system to adapt to volume changes while maintaining stable forces on the battery cells through the compressible member's progressive deformation
2Adaptability or versatility
If compressible members are added to accommodate expansion, then adaptability to expansion is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a compressible member that functions as a flexible element between the endplate and enclosure, allowing volumetric changes to be accommodated through compression of this flexible component rather than through complex mechanical adjustments
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 solution effectively retains battery cells by allowing them to expand while maintaining optimal forces, reducing the risk of operational issues and simplifying the design with fewer structural elements, enhancing recyclability and operational life.
Implementation Method 1
a compressible member disposed between the first endplate and a section of an enclosure, the compressible member configured to compress in response to the plurality of battery cells expanding
Implementation Method 2
a tension member, the first and second endplates each slidably coupled to the tension member
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack assembly includes battery cells, a first endplate adjacent a first end of the battery cells, a second endplate adjacent an opposite, second end of the battery cells, and a tension member. The first and second endplates are each slidably coupled to the tension member. A compressible member is disposed between the first endplate and a section of an enclosure. The compressible member is configured to compress in response to the battery cells expanding and moving the first endplate toward the section of the enclosure.