Battery Housing Leak Testing Under Controlled Temperature and Pressure
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing leak testing methods for battery housings are prone to temperature and environmental influences, leading to inaccurate results due to adiabatic effects, humidity, and contamination, which can misclassify parts as faulty or non-faulty.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for leak testing battery housings that involve temperature measurement, air-cooling, and pressurization within a climate-controlled cabin using high-purity test air, with temperature and pressure monitoring to minimize environmental and temperature fluctuations, employing a device with temperature sensors, pressure sensors, and a control system for precise leak detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If basic gauge pressure decay leak test is performed by pressurizing the battery housing with gas, then leak detection capability is provided, but temperature changes cause adiabatic effects that falsify measurement results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter by introducing the battery housing into a climatized cabin that maintains constant temperature conditions during leak testing. This prevents adiabatic temperature changes during pressurization, ensuring that pressure measurements reflect only leakage effects rather than thermal expansion or contraction of the gas.
Solution Approach 2:
The climatized cabin acts as an intermediary environment between the external ambient conditions and the leak testing process. It provides a controlled atmosphere that isolates the test from external temperature fluctuations and humidity variations, thereby improving measurement precision.
2Ease of operation
If leak testing is performed in ambient conditions, then testing simplicity is maintained, but environmental influences such as temperature and humidity falsify test results
Solution Approach 1:
The climatized cabin serves as an intermediary controlled environment that maintains constant temperature and humidity conditions during leak testing. This eliminates environmental variables that would otherwise falsify test results, while the overall process remains automated and straightforward to operate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an inert, controlled atmospheric environment within the climatized cabin that is isolated from external environmental influences. This controlled atmosphere prevents temperature and humidity variations from affecting the leak testing, thereby improving reliability without significantly complicating the operation.
3Productivity
If battery housing is pressurized quickly for efficient testing, then productivity is improved, but adiabatic heating effects increase causing measurement errors
Solution Approach 1:
The climatized cabin maintains constant temperature conditions that compensate for adiabatic heating effects during rapid pressurization. By controlling the ambient temperature and allowing for thermal equilibrium, the system can perform quick leak tests without sacrificing measurement precision, thus maintaining both productivity and accuracy.
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 approach provides accurate and reliable leak testing by minimizing temperature and environmental influences, ensuring that battery housings are properly sealed, thereby enhancing safety and performance.
Implementation Method 1
when the part to be tested is pressurized, measurement errors may occur due to the change in pressure causing an adiabatic effect. When the part is pressurized, the gas heats up
Implementation Method 2
the gas is then cooled by thermal conduction to the tested part. But because the pressure of gas is also dependent on its temperature, the pressure decreases even though the tested part has been sealed
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for leak testing at least one part of a battery housing (4), comprising the steps of: measuring the temperature T1 of the at least one part of the battery housing (4), optionally air-cooling the at least one part of the battery housing (4), introducing the at least one part of the battery housing (4) into a climatized cabin (6) filled with a fluid (12) at a certain pressure pc, and leak testing the at least one part of the battery housing (4) based on pressurizing the at least one part of the battery housing (4) with a fluid at a certain pressure pb and measuring the pressure change Δpb, preferentially during a defined testing period Δt. The invention also relates to a device (2) for leak testing at least one part of a battery housing (4), comprising: a first temperature sensor (14) for sensing the temperature T1 of the at least one part of the battery housing (4), a climatized cabin (6) filled with a fluid (12) at a certain pressure pc, a fluid compressing unit (26a, 26b) for filling the at least one part of the battery housing (4) with a fluid at a certain pressure pb, and a pressure sensor (32) for sensing the fluid pressure pb of the at least one part of the battery housing (4).