Battery Pack Bus Bar Layout for Compact Vehicle Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery packs for electric and hybrid vehicles face challenges in compact design due to the need for bus bars to protrude or occupy space for serial connections, leading to increased size and reduced space for passengers and vehicle height.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design with bus bars that are strategically positioned to connect adjacent battery modules without protruding above the modules, using outer bus bars for connections in the vehicle width direction and inner bus bars that pass above the modules to stride across them, allowing for a compact layout and reduced height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bus bars are arranged to protrude above battery modules for serial connection, then electrical connection between battery modules is achieved, but the battery pack size increases and space for passengers is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bus bars are arranged to extend in the vehicle width direction rather than protruding in the vertical direction, utilizing the lateral space between adjacent battery modules. This dimensional change allows electrical connection without increasing the battery pack's height or overall volume, resolving the contradiction between reliable connection and compact size.
Solution Approach 2:
The bus bars are positioned to fit within the spaces between adjacent battery modules, nesting the connection structure within the existing module arrangement rather than adding external protrusions. This enables electrical connection while maintaining the compact battery pack dimensions.
2Reliability
If bus bars are positioned to go around outside of battery modules for connection, then electrical connection is established, but the battery pack height increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending bus bars vertically above the battery modules, the invention routes them horizontally through the width direction, passing through the gaps between adjacent modules. This eliminates the need for vertical clearance and maintains minimal battery pack height.
3Volume of moving object
If spaces between battery modules are utilized for bus bar routing, then battery pack size is reduced, but surrounding spaces must be secured which increases pack size
Solution Approach 1:
The bus bars are specifically positioned to connect only the adjacent battery modules that require electrical connection, utilizing the local spaces between them. This targeted approach connects necessary modules without requiring clearance for non-adjacent modules, optimizing space utilization while maintaining simple structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery pack includes battery modules. The battery modules are arranged adjacent to each other in a vehicle anteroposterior direction in such a manner that a longitudinal direction of each battery module corresponds to a vehicle width direction. Bus bars for electrically connecting in series positive and negative electrode terminals of the adjacent battery modules include outer bus bars in an outer part in the vehicle width direction, and inner bus bars in a center part in the vehicle width direction. The outer bus bars are provided so as not to protrude from upper faces of the battery modules thereby to interconnect the electrode terminals of the adjacent battery modules, and the inner bus bars are provided so as to pass above the upper faces of the battery modules thereby to interconnect the electrode terminals of the adjacent battery modules.