Battery Spring Plate Tensioning for Dynamic Cell Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery designs face challenges in maintaining a consistent compressive force on battery cells as their state of charge changes, particularly in pouch battery cells with lithium chemistry, which can lead to inefficiencies and potential issues like lithium plating/dendrites and uneven compression distribution.
Innovation Solution
A battery design incorporating a spring plate with adjustable tension and varying radius of curvature, made of carbon fibers, that applies a compressive force through a top plate, allowing for easy assembly and maintaining a dynamic compression force throughout charging and discharging cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a rigid compression plate is used to apply force to battery cells, then assembly space is reduced, but the compression force cannot adapt to cell expansion/contraction during charging cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The spring plate is designed with dynamic properties, allowing it to flex and change its radius of curvature in response to battery cell expansion and contraction during charging cycles. This enables the compression force to adapt automatically without manual intervention or rigid structural constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring plate's radius of curvature is configured to vary within a specific range (e.g., 50mm to 150mm) as the battery cells change size during operation. This parameter change allows the plate to maintain optimal contact and compression force across different cell states of charge.
2Ease of manufacture
If the spring plate tension is fixed during assembly, then assembly is simplified, but the compression force becomes uneven as cells change state of charge
Solution Approach 1:
The spring plate is pre-configured with specific geometric parameters (radius of curvature, thickness, material properties) during manufacturing that enable it to automatically provide consistent compression force throughout the battery's operational cycles, eliminating the need for complex adjustment mechanisms during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring plate serves itself by using its elastic properties to automatically adjust and maintain consistent compression force as battery cells expand and contract, without requiring external control systems or manual adjustments during operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If a flat rigid plate is used for compression, then manufacturing is simpler, but lithium plating/dendrites may occur due to insufficient compression adaptation
Solution Approach 1:
The spring plate's flexible, curved design allows it to dynamically adapt to battery cell volume changes during charging cycles, maintaining consistent compression force that prevents lithium plating and dendrite formation while keeping the manufacturing process relatively simple.
4Strength
If the spring plate radius of curvature is kept constant, then structural integrity is maintained, but compression force becomes uneven as cells shrink and expand
Solution Approach 1:
The spring plate is designed with a controlled variable radius of curvature that changes within a defined range as the battery cells expand and contract. This parameter variation maintains both structural integrity and uniform compression force distribution across different states of charge.
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 ensures a consistent and adjustable compressive force, preventing lithium plating/dendrites and promoting healthy aging of battery cells by adapting to changes in cell size, thereby enhancing battery performance and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
a spring plate providing a biasing force against the plurality of battery cells... the spring plate may provide a compressive force throughout a charging and discharging cycle as the battery cells shrink and expand
Implementation Method 2
The spring plate may include carbon fibers
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A battery including a housing, a plurality of battery cells in the housing, and a spring plate providing a biasing force against the plurality of battery cells. The spring plate is configured such that a tension of the spring plate may be adjusted from outside of the housing.