Vehicle Battery Module Support Structure for Meta-Damping NVH Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery module structures in electric vehicles fail to effectively address vibration resonance issues, leading to inadequate NVH performance and ride comfort due to vibration transmission from the vehicle body to the cabin.

Innovation Solution

A battery mounting structure that incorporates a support portion with specific rigidity and loss factor settings to resonate and interfere with vibration waves, using meta-damping to suppress vibrations in the battery module, thereby improving NVH performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the pair of side plates having a C-shaped cross section collectively restrain the left and right sides of the plurality of cells, then the vibration of each cell in the up-down direction is suppressed, but the influence on vibration caused by resonance of each cell during vehicle travel is not addressed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration suppressionVSAvoidNVH performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the support rigidity y of the support portion to satisfy specific mathematical inequalities (y_min ≤ y ≤ y_max) that depend on cell mass m and loss factor tan δ. This rigidity control enables the support portion to resonate at frequencies that interfere with vibration waves, achieving meta-damping effect that suppresses resonance vibrations in the road noise band while maintaining structural stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes mechanical vibration principles by designing the support portion to resonate with incoming vibration waves. The support portion's natural frequency is tuned to match the vibration frequencies from vehicle travel, creating resonance that interferes with and reduces the amplitude of vibration waves transmitted to the battery casing, thereby improving NVH performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #18Mechanical vibration

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the upper and lower flange portions support the cells from both upper and lower sides, then the vibration of cells in the up-down direction is reduced, but resonance vibration during vehicle travel is not taken into consideration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell vibrationVSAvoidNVH performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the support rigidity y of the support portion to satisfy specific mathematical inequalities (y_min ≤ y ≤ y_max) that depend on cell mass m and loss factor tan δ. This rigidity control enables the support portion to resonate at frequencies that interfere with vibration waves, achieving meta-damping effect that suppresses resonance vibrations in the road noise band while maintaining structural stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The support portion acts as an intermediary element between the cells and the battery casing. Instead of directly rigidly connecting cells to the casing, the support portion with controlled rigidity serves as a mediator that filters and attenuates vibration waves through resonance interference, protecting the cells from harmful vibrations while allowing necessary mechanical support.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional battery casing structures are used, then manufacturing is simple, but vibration transmission from vehicle body to cabin results in poor NVH performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery casing structureVSAvoidvibration transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the support function into distinct components: the support portion (with controlled rigidity for vibration suppression) and the battery casing (for structural protection). This segmentation allows the support portion to be optimized for vibration control while maintaining the simplicity of the overall battery module structure, achieving both ease of manufacture and improved NVH performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 structure effectively dampens vibrations transmitted from the vehicle body to the cabin, enhancing ride comfort by reducing vibrations in the road noise band through meta-damping, allowing for a wider range of design freedom.

Implementation Method 1

an elastic wave is sequentially transmitted to the plurality of cells aligned in the predetermined direction via the support portion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic wave transmission: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the plurality of cells resonates with each other, thereby interferes with the elastic wave

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectResonance: Resonance

Implementation Method 3

a vibration damping effect by so-called meta-damping for continuously damping the vibration along a transmission direction of the vibration by using the mass of the two or more cells arranged in series and the loss factor or a damping characteristic of the support portion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMeta-damping: Damping

Implementation Method 4

dissipation and interference of vibration energy occur with respect to the vibration sequentially transmitted for each of the cells in series in the predetermined direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEnergy dissipation: Damping

Implementation Method 5

the plurality of cells resonates with each other, thereby interferes with the elastic wave, and reduces the elastic wave

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInterference: Interference

Data Source

PatentEP4708506A1Battery module, battery mounting structure for vehicle, and vehicle
Publication Date: 2026.03.11 MAZDA MOTOR CORP
  • EP4708506A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4708506A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4708506A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A battery module 10 mounted on a vehicle body 1 includes a battery casing 21, a plurality of cells 22 disposed in series in a vehicle front-rear direction, a support portion 23 for supporting each of the plurality of cells 22, and a partition portion 24 disposed between the adjacent cells 22. When support rigidity of the support portion 23 is y [N/m], mass of each of the cells 22 is m [kg], a value of tan δ as a loss factor of the support portion 23 is x, and a minimum value ymin of y is ymin = 5.184 x 109 (1/x)2(1/m)3, a maximum value ymax of y is ymax = 482.2531x2m5, and ymin < ymax, y is set in a range of ymin ≤ y ≤ ymax.