Battery Pack End Plates for Structural Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs face challenges in achieving high structural stability due to limited installation space and weight constraints, particularly when located below the vehicle chassis, which affects their rigidity and ability to withstand vibrations and impacts.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a battery module array arranged in two or more rows laterally, with end plates formed as a single body corresponding to the front or rear, and U-shaped main members that are fastened to an external device, enhancing bending rigidity and stability while minimizing deformation during vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the battery pack uses a conventional structure with single battery module and basic end plates, then the device complexity is low, but the structural stability and power capacity are insufficient for high-power applications
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into multiple battery modules arranged in two or more rows, with each module containing multiple battery cells. This segmentation allows the system to achieve higher power capacity while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple end plates are merged into a single integrated end plate structure that spans across all battery modules. This merging provides unified structural support and enhances overall structural stability without requiring separate support components for each module.
2Volume of moving object
If the battery pack is located below the vehicle chassis to save space, then the volume occupation is reduced, but the structural stability and ability to withstand vibrations deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The end plates are designed with curved surfaces that conform to the contours of the vehicle chassis. This curvature allows the battery pack to fit into irregular spaces below the chassis while the curved structure inherently provides better structural strength and vibration resistance compared to flat plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The end plates are made from materials or structures with changed physical parameters (higher rigidity, different damping characteristics) to enhance vibration resistance. This allows the battery pack to maintain structural stability in the vibration-prone environment below the chassis without increasing volume.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the supporting bars and end plates are made with sufficient rigidity to minimize battery module movement, then the structural stability is improved, but the weight of the battery pack increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end plates and supporting structures are made from composite materials that provide high rigidity and strength-to-weight ratio. This allows the structure to maintain sufficient rigidity for structural stability while minimizing the weight increase that would result from using traditional solid materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The end plates are designed with varying thickness and reinforcement only in critical areas where structural support is most needed. This local quality approach provides sufficient rigidity at key locations while keeping the overall weight lower than a uniformly thick design would require.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the end plates are made as single body structures corresponding to the full width of battery module array, then the deformation during vibration is minimized, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single body end plate is designed with modular attachment points and standardized connection interfaces that allow it to be assembled from pre-fabricated sections. This segmentation approach maintains the vibration resistance of a full-width structure while simplifying manufacturing through modular construction.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is a battery pack including a battery module array having battery modules which are arranged in a lateral direction in two or more rows, each of the battery modules being configured to have a structure in which battery cells or unit modules, each of which has two or more battery cells mounted therein, are stacked in a state in which the battery cells or the unit modules are erected vertically, a base plate on which the battery modules are stacked in a vertically erected state, a pair of main members provided at the front and rear of the battery module array to support load of the battery modules, opposite ends of each of the main members being fastened to an external device, a pair of end plates disposed in tight contact with the front and rear of the battery module array in a state in which the lower end of each of the end plates is fixed to the base plate, and supporting bars connected between upper parts or side parts of the end plates so as to interconnect and support the end plates, wherein each of the end plates is formed in the shape of a single body having a size corresponding to the front or rear of the battery module array to minimize deformation of the battery pack when the battery pack is vibrated in the up and down direction.