Tubular Battery Pack Reinforcement Against End Plate Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for higher electric power in vehicles requires a greater number of battery cells to be densely packed, leading to increased expansion of the cell group, which exerts a large load on end plates, potentially causing deformation and failure.
Innovation Solution
A power storage apparatus with a tubular casing and reinforcement members fixed across the end plates and tubular casing, using separate fixation parts and fastening members to reinforce the connection, preventing deformation and cell failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the number of battery cells is increased to meet higher electric power requirements, then the electric power capability is improved, but the load on end plates increases causing deformation risk
Solution Approach 1:
The end plate is divided into a plate body and a separately provided reinforcement member. The reinforcement member is fixed to both the tubular casing and the end plate, creating a segmented structure that distributes the load from battery cell expansion across multiple components rather than concentrating it on the end plate alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The end plate assembly combines the plate body with a reinforcement member made of different material properties. This composite structure leverages the strengths of different materials to simultaneously provide electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and resistance to deformation under expansion loads.
2Strength
If the end plate is strongly fastened to restrain cell group expansion, then the deformation resistance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it strengthens the end plate to resist deformation, provides a pathway for fastening to the tubular casing, and maintains electrical conductivity. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement member acts as an intermediary element between the end plate and the tubular casing. Instead of directly fastening the end plate to the casing (which would require complex through-fastening), the reinforcement member mediates this connection, simplifying the overall fastening structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A power storage apparatus includes: a tubular casing extending in a first direction; a cell group configured by stacking a plurality of battery cells in the first direction; opening parts arranged at both ends of the tubular casing in the first direction; a housing part arranged inside the tubular casing and housing the cell group; an end plate fixed to the tubular casing so as to close the opening party; and a reinforcement member fixed across the tubular casing and the end plate, wherein one end part of the reinforcement member is fixed to a first fixation part provided on an outer wall part, of the tubular casing, the outer wall part being arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and another end part of the reinforcement member is fixed to a second fixation part provided on an outer part of the end plate.