Battery Separator Structure for Heat Insulation and Load Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing battery separator structures with a two-layer heat insulating material and elastic body configuration result in increased thickness tolerance, leading to higher restraint loads on battery cells, necessitating stronger and heavier battery modules with higher manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A battery assembly with a separator comprising a first member with protrusions and a second member having higher heat insulation properties and deformability, where the second member is composed of foamed resin, is used to manage size tolerance and reduce reaction force variation, thereby minimizing weight and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a two-layer separator structure with heat insulating material and elastic body is used, then heat insulation performance is improved, but thickness tolerance increases leading to larger restraint loads on battery cells
Solution Approach 1:
The separator is divided into two functional layers: a heat insulating material layer and an elastic body layer. Each layer has a specific thickness tolerance range, but their combined structure achieves better overall thickness control than a single-layer design, reducing restraint loads on battery cells while maintaining heat insulation performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The separator combines two different materials with complementary properties: a heat insulating material for thermal protection and an elastic body for flexibility and thickness tolerance management. This composite structure achieves both heat insulation and reduced restraint loads simultaneously.
2Temperature
If the separator thickness is increased to improve heat insulation, then heat insulation performance is improved, but restraint load on battery cells increases requiring stronger strength members
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the thickness parameters of each layer within specific ranges (heat insulating material: 0.5-2.0mm, elastic body: 0.3-1.5mm) to achieve the desired heat insulation performance while controlling the total thickness to minimize restraint loads, thereby avoiding the need for stronger and heavier strength members.
3Strength
If hard portions are added to the elastic body for structural support, then strength is improved, but deformation capability decreases reducing load absorption from electrode assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic body is designed with localized hard portions (protrusions) that provide structural support at specific points while the remaining portions maintain softness and deformability. This local differentiation allows the separator to simultaneously achieve structural strength and load absorption capability.
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 proposed solution reduces the variation in reaction force on battery cells, leading to lighter and less expensive battery modules by managing size tolerance and optimizing deformation properties.
Implementation Method 1
the second member being more likely to be deformed than the first member
Implementation Method 2
an elastic body in which a hard portion protrudes from a through hole of a soft portion
Implementation Method 3
the second member having a higher heat insulation property than a heat insulation property of the first member
Data Source
AI summary
A battery assembly includes: a plurality of battery cells arranged in a first direction; a separator disposed between the plurality of battery cells; a restraint member that restrains the plurality of battery cells and the separator along the first direction, wherein the separator includes a first member including a base portion and a plurality of protrusions each protruding from the base portion in the first direction, and a second member disposed between the plurality of protrusions, the second member having a higher heat insulation property than a heat insulation property of the first member, the second member being more likely to be deformed than the first member.