Battery Pack Spacer Elasticity for Swelling Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs with higher capacity secondary batteries face issues with swelling due to inadequate spacer properties, leading to performance deterioration and increased resistance, as spacers that are too soft fail to press the battery suitably while those that are too hard cannot absorb swelling effectively.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design incorporating a spacer with an elastic part that has an elastic modulus between 1 MPa and 10 MPa and a constant load compression ratio of 35% to 70%, allowing stable loading and absorption of secondary battery expansion and contraction, thereby suppressing swelling and maintaining performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the spacer is made too soft to allow battery expansion, then the secondary battery cannot be pressed suitably after charging and discharging cycles, but the secondary battery swells easily leading to performance deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the elastic modulus of the spacer material to fall within 1 MPa to 10 MPa, and the constant load compression ratio to fall within 35% to 70%. These specific parameter ranges enable the spacer to simultaneously provide adequate support pressure and swelling absorption capacity, resolving the contradiction between softness for adaptability and firmness for reliability.
2Reliability
If the spacer is made too hard to press the battery suitably, then the secondary battery is pressed adequately, but the spacer cannot absorb swelling effectively when the battery expands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by changing the material parameters of the spacer, specifically setting the elastic modulus between 1 MPa and 10 MPa and the constant load compression ratio between 35% and 70%. These parameter specifications ensure the spacer maintains sufficient rigidity to press the battery while retaining enough elasticity to absorb swelling, thus achieving both reliability and adaptability.
3Device complexity
If a conventional spacer is used in high capacity secondary batteries, then the battery pack structure is simple, but swelling occurs easily along with charging and discharging cycles leading to increased resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses this contradiction by changing the physical parameters of the spacer material rather than complicating the structure. By specifying the elastic modulus (1-10 MPa) and constant load compression ratio (35%-70%), the patent enables a simple spacer structure to effectively suppress swelling in high capacity batteries, maintaining structural simplicity while eliminating harmful swelling effects.
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 described spacer effectively stabilizes the secondary battery's loading and absorption of swelling, reducing performance deterioration and enhancing the battery pack's volume energy density by suitably managing the expansion and contraction cycles.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic part satisfies the following conditions: (1) an elastic modulus, which is obtained as an inclination of an approximation line A in a range of a compression ratio from 1 to 20% from a compression load-compression ratio curve
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A battery pack (500) disclosed herein includes a plurality of rectangular secondary batteries (100) that are disposed along an arrangement direction (X), and a spacer (200) that is disposed between the rectangular secondary batteries (100) that are adjacent in the arrangement direction (X). The spacer (200) includes an elastic part (210) and the elastic part (210) satisfies the following conditions: (1) an elastic modulus in the arrangement direction (X) is 1 MPa or more and 10 MPa or less; and (2) a constant load compression ratio is 35% or more and 70% or less.