Battery Module Frame with Angular Gaps for Elastic Constraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery modules with stacked cells face challenges in balancing frame rigidity to effectively constrain expanding cells while maintaining efficient assembly, as overly rigid frames hinder assembly and insufficient rigidity fails to suppress cell expansion.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring a block-like battery cell unit with end separators having angular portions that create gaps with the frame, allowing the frame to elastically deform and increase rigidity as cells expand, ensuring easy assembly and reliable constraint of battery cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the frame is made too rigid to suppress battery cell expansion, then cell expansion suppression is improved, but assembly efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is designed with flexible portions that allow elastic deformation, transforming the frame from a static rigid structure to a dynamic adaptive structure. This enables the frame to initially deform during assembly (improving assembly efficiency) and then constrain expanded cells (maintaining cell expansion suppression) through its elastic recovery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame's rigidity parameter is made variable through the flexible portions that can change their structural state. During assembly, the flexible portions exhibit higher compliance (lower effective rigidity), while during operation, they provide increased constraint force (higher effective rigidity) in response to cell expansion, thus adapting the rigidity parameter to different operational phases.
2Reliability
If the frame is made sufficiently rigid to constrain expanded cells, then cell expansion suppression is improved, but the frame cannot be easily assembled
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible portions enable the frame to dynamically adjust its mechanical properties during assembly and operation. During assembly, the frame exhibits flexibility that facilitates easy installation, while during cell expansion events, the same flexible portions engage to provide the necessary rigid constraint, thus resolving the contradiction between assembly ease and constraint capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible portions act as a cushioning mechanism that absorbs assembly stresses and misalignments during installation. This beforehand cushioning capability protects the rigid constraint structures from damage during assembly, enabling the frame to maintain its cell constraint capability while being easily assembled.
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 design allows for easy assembly and increased frame rigidity in response to cell expansion, effectively suppressing further expansion and enhancing the longevity of the battery module by adapting to the cells' deterioration.
Implementation Method 1
the frame is flexible and can be elastically deformed, and the rigidity of the frame increases in accordance with expansion of the battery cells
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a battery module includes a block-like battery cell unit in which a plurality of battery cells and a plurality of separators are stacked, and a frame which constrains the battery cell unit in a stacking direction of the battery cells and the separators. The frame is opposed to angular portions of end separators located at respective ends of the battery cell unit, as viewed in the stacking direction, and defines gaps with reference to the angular portions of the end separators.