Side-Loading Battery Module Housing to Prevent Cell-Expansion Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of battery systems is cumbersome and cost-intensive, and existing battery module housings are limited by mechanical resilience issues, leading to bending during operation and reduced service life due to heat expansion of battery cells.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring a housing with a side opening for inserting a battery cell stack, a top portion with exposed electrode terminals and venting valves, and a closed structure to prevent bending, using materials like plastics for increased rigidity and stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional battery module housings are used with open structures, then assembly is simpler, but the housing bends during operation due to heat expansion and mechanical loads
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a bottom portion, a top portion, and two side portions that are interconnected. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity, preventing bending without requiring a completely monolithic complex structure
Solution Approach 2:
The housing utilizes composite construction with the bottom portion, top portion, and side portions forming a unified rigid structure. This composite approach enables the housing to achieve high rigidity and resistance to bending while managing the complexity through modular design
2Reliability
If battery cells are fully enclosed in housing, then protection is improved, but heat dissipation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The top portion of the housing includes an opened section that provides localized access for heat dissipation and ventilation while the rest of the housing maintains its protective enclosure. This local opening allows thermal management without compromising overall battery protection
Solution Approach 2:
The opened section in the top portion acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the need for protection and the need for heat dissipation, allowing controlled thermal exchange while maintaining structural integrity
3Reliability
If complex mechanical connections are used for battery module integration, then mechanical resilience is improved, but manufacturing cost and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom portion, top portion, and side portions are integrated into a unified housing structure that provides mechanical resilience as an inherent property rather than through separate complex connection components. This merging reduces the number of parts and assembly steps while maintaining connection stability
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical protection, ensures structural rigidity, facilitates heat dissipation, and enables stable mechanical connections. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components, lowering manufacturing cost and assembly complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure refers to a battery module (100), a battery system (1000) including a plurality of the battery modules (100), an electric vehicle including the battery module (100) and/or the battery system (1000), a method for assembling a battery module (100) and a housing (30) configured to accommodate a battery module (100). The battery module (100) includes a battery cell stack (10) with a plurality of battery cells (12) arranged along a stacking direction (S) and a housing (30) configured to accommodate the battery cell stack (10). The housing (30) includes a bottom portion (32), a top portion (34), two side portions (36, 38) arranged opposite to each other with respect to the stacking direction (S) and interconnecting the bottom portion (32) and the top portion (34) along a height direction (H) and a side opening (40) through which the battery cell stack (10) is insertable into or removable from the housing (30) along an insertion direction (I) orthogonal to the stacking direction (S) and orthogonal to the height direction (H). The top portion (34) includes an opened section (42) to overlay the electrode terminals (14) and the venting valves (16) of the plurality of battery cells (12) of the battery cell stack (10) when the battery cell stack (10) is accommodated in the housing (30).