Composite Battery Shell Stiffening for Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery shells for electric vehicles face challenges in providing adequate protection and stiffness while minimizing mass, particularly under high acceleration and impact conditions, and require innovative solutions to enhance structural integrity and safety.
Innovation Solution
A battery shell made from plastic material with integrated inner and outer stiffening means, such as ribs and fiber-reinforced layers, which provide increased stiffness and protection without significant weight or material increases, using a monolithic design and manufacturing processes like injection molding or pressing to ensure robustness and cost-effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the battery housing mass is increased to store high mass of battery modules reliably under high acceleration, then the protection and stability improve, but the overall vehicle mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery housing uses composite material construction by integrating reinforcement elements (such as fiber-reinforced plastic or metal inserts) into the plastic housing structure. This allows the housing to achieve higher stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio, providing adequate protection against high acceleration forces while minimizing the overall mass increase of the housing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing design incorporates optimized geometric shapes and curvature distributions that enhance structural rigidity without requiring additional mass. By strategically placing ribs, arches, and curved surfaces in the housing structure, the design achieves better load distribution and structural integrity under acceleration while maintaining lightweight construction.
2Reliability
If the battery housing structure is reinforced to protect battery modules from damage in accidents, then the safety improves, but the manufacturing complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing design integrates multiple functions into a single structure: the protective reinforcement elements are merged with the housing structure itself rather than being separate components. This integration reduces the number of parts, simplifies assembly, and decreases manufacturing complexity while maintaining the protective function against accidents and impacts.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of uniformly reinforcing the entire housing structure, the design applies reinforcement elements selectively at critical locations where impact and accident forces are most likely to occur. This localized reinforcement approach provides adequate protection while minimizing material usage and structural complexity in non-critical areas.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a battery shell comprising at least one inner stiffening means and/or at least one outer stiffening means, which are configured to stiffen the battery shell and to protect a designated battery module from an outer impact. The invention also relates to a traction battery comprising said battery shell and to a motor vehicle comprising said battery shell. Furthermore, the invention relates to a tool for producing this battery shell and a method for producing the battery shell.