Traction Battery Assembly Thermal Plate Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current traction-battery assemblies for motor vehicles face challenges in efficiently managing thermal regulation and electrical connectivity, particularly in ensuring effective thermal management and secure electrical connections between battery arrays and thermal plates.

Innovation Solution

The traction-battery assembly incorporates a retention structure with a separator and thermal plates, where the terminal sides of the battery arrays are disposed within openings to facilitate thermal contact and electrical isolation, ensuring secure attachment and efficient thermal management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If thermal plates are placed in contact with terminal sides of battery arrays, then thermal management is improved, but electrical isolation becomes compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal managementVSAvoidelectrical isolation

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The battery array is divided into cell groups with terminals on one end and opposite cells on the other end, allowing thermal plates to contact non-terminal areas while maintaining electrical isolation between positive and negative terminals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The retention structure acts as an intermediary component that provides both thermal conduction pathways through thermal plates and electrical isolation through its insulating properties and structural design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Temperature

If battery arrays are securely attached to thermal plates, then thermal contact is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal contactVSAvoidattachment structure

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The retention structure combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: mechanical support for battery arrays, thermal conduction through integrated thermal plates, and electrical isolation, thereby reducing overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The retention structure serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it provides structural support, establishes thermal contact pathways, ensures electrical isolation, and facilitates heat dissipation, eliminating the need for separate components for each function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

This configuration enhances thermal management and electrical connectivity, improving the performance and reliability of traction batteries by ensuring effective heat dissipation and secure electrical connections between the battery arrays and thermal plates.

Implementation Method 1

At least one thermal plate is disposed between the cells and is touching at least one of the terminal sides

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS10581039B2Traction battery assembly

Publication Date: 2020.03.03 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

A traction-battery assembly includes a retention structure having a separator and first and second openings on opposing sides of the separator. The assembly also includes first and second arrays each having cells arranged such that terminals of the cells are on a terminal side of the array. The terminal sides of the first and second arrays are each disposed in one of the first or second openings such that the terminal sides face the separator.