Battery Module Housing Seal Structure Against Condensate Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery modules face challenges in maintaining a reliable fluid-tight seal due to condensate accumulation and corrosive infiltration, particularly at interfaces and surfaces exposed to the environment, which can lead to leakage over their service life.
Innovation Solution
The battery module design features a housing with a raised sealing element and screw connections, where the tapping element and housing are connected in a fluid-tight manner using screw domes and a sloping surface to prevent condensate from reaching the sealing and screw surfaces, and includes a corrosion-resistant aluminum die-cast housing with coatings for enhanced protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the housing and tapping element are connected at the same level surface, then the manufacturing is simpler, but condensate accumulates on the sealing surface causing leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing surface is extracted from the main housing surface and raised to a different elevation level. This creates a distinct sealing zone that is separated from the condensate-prone housing surface, preventing condensate accumulation on the sealing interface while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard machining operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing surface is moved from the two-dimensional plane of the housing surface to a three-dimensional elevated position. By raising the sealing surface vertically above the housing surface, condensate that accumulates on the housing surface cannot reach the sealing interface, thus preventing leakage without complicating the manufacturing process.
2Device complexity
If screw connections are made on the same surface as sealing elements, then the device structure is simpler, but corrosive infiltration occurs at the screw surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The screw connections are extracted from the sealing surface area and positioned on a separate, lower housing surface. This spatial separation prevents condensate and corrosive substances that accumulate on the housing surface from reaching the screw threads and mating surfaces, eliminating the corrosion pathway while maintaining simple device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing surface acts as an intermediary zone that is deliberately designed to be lower than both the sealing surface and screw connection areas. This intermediate elevation level allows condensate to accumulate on the housing surface without reaching the elevated sealing and screw interfaces, providing passive protection against corrosive infiltration.
3Reliability
If the sealing element is raised above the housing surface, then condensate accumulation is prevented, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elevated sealing surface is designed with localized quality features including a specific elevation height and a sloping side surface that directs condensate away from the sealing interface. The sloping angle is optimized to effectively shed condensate while maintaining reasonable manufacturing tolerances, balancing sealing reliability with manufacturability.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells which are received in an interior of a housing of the battery module and which are electrically conductively connected to one another in series and/or in parallel, wherein the housing comprises an opening which is designed to guide a voltage tap of the battery module from the interior of the housing, and the battery module further includes a tapping element which is designed to contact the voltage tap of the battery module from an environment of the battery module, wherein the housing and the tapping element are connected to one another in a fluid-tight manner with respect to the environment, wherein a sealing element of the housing is raised relative to a surface of the housing, which surface is arranged so as to directly surround the sealing element.