Battery Cell Spacer Structure for Thermal Isolation Under Stack Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power storage devices face issues with heat conduction between unit cells, leading to abnormal heating of cells and potential chain reactions.
Innovation Solution
A power storage device design featuring unit cells with tapered surfaces and spacers made of thermoplastic resin, which alternately stack to form a constrained stack within a housing case, allowing for thermal distortion of spacers to reduce friction and inhibit heat conduction when one cell is abnormally heated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a constraining load is applied to the power storage stack by pressing unit cells into the housing case, then the unit cells are securely positioned, but heat is easily transferred from abnormally heated unit cells to other unit cells causing chain reactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces spacers as intermediary components between unit cells. These spacers are made of heat-resistant material and have a lower thermal conductivity than the unit cells, acting as thermal barriers that interrupt heat conduction paths while maintaining the mechanical constraining structure. The spacers are positioned at intervals along the power storage stack to create thermal isolation zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter (thermal conductivity) by introducing spacers with different thermal properties than the unit cells. The spacers are specifically selected to have lower thermal conductivity, thereby changing the thermal transmission characteristics of the overall structure while maintaining mechanical stability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If spacers made of thermoplastic resin are used to allow thermal distortion and reduce friction when heated, then heat conduction is inhibited, but the spacers must be positioned and constrained effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the thermal expansion property of thermoplastic resin spacers. When heated, the spacers expand and distort thermally, which reduces friction between adjacent components. This automatic friction reduction mechanism allows the spacers to move slightly and accommodate thermal effects without requiring complex constraint mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermoplastic resin spacers serve themselves by automatically adjusting their friction characteristics in response to temperature changes. The material's inherent thermal properties cause it to reduce friction when heated, eliminating the need for external mechanisms to control friction or positioning.
3Strength
If unit cells are tightly constrained to maintain stack integrity, then structural stability is improved, but abnormal heat in one cell can quickly spread to adjacent cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power storage stack by inserting spacers between unit cells. This segmentation creates discrete thermal zones while maintaining structural continuity. The spacers divide the stack into sections that are mechanically connected but thermally isolated, preventing rapid heat propagation while preserving overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by combining unit cells with spacers made of different materials having complementary properties. The spacers are made of thermoplastic resin or heat-resistant materials with low thermal conductivity, creating a composite structure that provides both mechanical strength and thermal isolation.
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 design maintains the constraining force on the power storage stack, preventing heat conduction to other cells and improving reliability by stabilizing the stack's position, even when one cell is abnormally heated.
Implementation Method 1
the support surface of the spacer, formed of the thermoplastic resin, adjacent to the unit cell is thermally distorted. This reduces a friction coefficient between the support surface of the spacer and the tapered surface of the unit cell
Implementation Method 2
A friction force is generated between the tapered surface of the unit cell and the support surface of the spacer formed of the thermoplastic resin. This inhibits the unit cell from being displaced out of position in the second direction by a constraining force acting on the power storage stack
Data Source
AI summary
A power storage device includes a power storage stack and a housing case. In the power storage stack, a plurality of unit cells and a plurality of spacers are alternately stacked in a first direction. A first support surface of each spacer among the plurality of spacers is angled corresponding to and is in contact with a first tapered surface of the unit cell that is adjacent to the spacer in the first direction. A second support surface of each spacer among the plurality of spacers is angled corresponding to and is in contact with a second tapered surface of the unit cell that is adjacent to the spacer in the first direction. The plurality of spacers are each formed of a thermoplastic resin.