Multipart Battery Module Shear Wall for Bending Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery system structural walls experience bending issues due to hanging arrangements and vertical forces in vehicles, which can lead to stress and potential damage, especially when the system is not supported at the bottom.
Innovation Solution
A multipart shear wall design featuring layered flanges with a thicker resulting flange, formed by welding two elements with equal material thicknesses, which provides increased strength and stiffness to reduce bending and stress during vertical forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a single-part shear wall is used, then the device complexity is low, but the strength and stiffness are insufficient to resist bending under vertical forces
Solution Approach 1:
The shear wall is divided into multiple separate elements (first element, second element, third element) that are layered and joined together. This segmentation allows each element to contribute to the overall strength and stiffness while maintaining manufacturing simplicity for individual components.
Solution Approach 2:
The shear wall uses a composite structure with layered elements of different orientations and material properties. The first element provides base strength, while the second and third elements add stiffness through layered construction, creating a composite structure that resists bending forces effectively.
2Strength
If the flange thickness is increased to reduce bending, then the strength increases, but the weight and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single thick flange, the structure segments the flange into multiple thinner layered elements. This achieves the required strength and stiffness through the layered configuration rather than increasing the weight of a single monolithic component.
Solution Approach 2:
The layered composite structure of multiple elements provides enhanced strength-to-weight ratio. The combination of different element orientations and materials creates a composite that resists bending forces more efficiently than a solid homogeneous structure of equivalent weight.
3Ease of operation
If the shear wall is not supported at the bottom, then the ease of installation improves, but bending and stress increase under vertical forces
Solution Approach 1:
The layered composite structure with multiple elements provides distributed strength along the height of the shear wall. This allows the top to be supported while the bottom remains unsupported, as the composite construction distributes stresses through the layered elements rather than concentrating them at the base.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a single-plane support structure to a multi-dimensional layered configuration. By stacking elements in layers with different orientations, the structure gains resistance to bending moments without requiring bottom support, effectively using the vertical dimension to distribute loads.
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 multipart shear wall design significantly reduces bending and stress on the battery module by increasing the thickness and stiffness of the flange, effectively addressing the structural integrity issues caused by vertical forces in vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
The first element and the second element are welded together at the interface along a path proximal to and along the lateral side of the assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A battery system for providing electric power to a vehicle includes an assembly having battery cells. The battery system also includes a shear wall that is arranged along a lateral side of the assembly to provide structural support. The shear wall is two-part, including a first element and a second element, both of which may be formed from sheet metal and welded together. The first element has a first flange extending away from the lateral side of the assembly, and the second element has a second flange. The first flange and the second flange are layered together to form an interface. The flanges are welded together at the interface, proximal to the assembly, to form a resulting flange that is thicker than either individual flange and that may be mounted to a frame member. The battery system may also include another shear wall on the opposite lateral side.