Battery Weld Inspection Using Heat-Sensitive Paint Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current weld quality inspection methods for battery packs, such as those in electric vehicles, lack sufficient accuracy due to reliance on infrared light detection, which struggles to separate reflected laser light, leading to inadequate detection of weld defects and strength.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing heat sensitive paint applied to conductive members within battery packs, where a camera images the paint's color changes post-welding to determine weld quality, allowing for precise inspection without infrared light dependency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If infrared light detection is used for weld quality inspection, then the inspection can be performed non-contact, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to inability to separate reflected laser light
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces heat-sensitive paint as an intermediary substance applied to the conductive member surface. This paint absorbs the laser welding energy and converts it to thermal energy, which then causes a color change that can be captured by the imaging apparatus. This intermediary approach eliminates the need to directly detect and separate laser light, solving the measurement precision problem while avoiding the complexity of light separation systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the optical detection system (infrared light detection) with a thermal-chemical-optical system (heat-sensitive paint color change). Instead of using mechanical/optical means to detect and separate laser light, the system uses the paint's colorimetric response to temperature changes, which can be captured by standard imaging apparatus, thereby improving measurement precision without increasing device complexity
2Measurement precision
If heat sensitive paint is applied to conductive member, then weld quality inspection accuracy is improved through color change analysis, but the manufacturing process complexity increases due to additional application step
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-sensitive paint is applied to the conductive member surface before the welding process begins. This preliminary action ensures that the paint is already in position to capture the thermal effects of welding, allowing for accurate defect detection without requiring additional steps during or after the welding process itself
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the color change property of heat-sensitive paint as a visual indicator of temperature distribution during welding. Different colors correspond to different temperature ranges, allowing the imaging apparatus to capture and analyze weld quality through colorimetric data, thereby improving measurement precision through a relatively simple manufacturing addition
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
Enables high-accuracy weld quality inspection by analyzing color changes in heat sensitive paints, effectively detecting defects and ensuring reliable weld strength, thereby enhancing the performance of battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
heat sensitive paint applied to a conductive member that is electrically connected to a plurality of battery cells by a weld
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a weld quality inspection system of the present disclosure that includes: an imaging apparatus that images a heat sensitive paint applied to a conductive member that is electrically connected to a plurality of battery cells by a weld; and a determination processing part that determines a quality of the weld based on an image obtained by the imaging apparatus.