Cast Battery Module Enclosure With Integrated Thermal Cavity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Integrating battery packs into electric vehicles, particularly electric trucks, is challenging due to space constraints, weight distribution, heat management, vibration resistance, exposure to harsh elements, and the need for easy maintenance access while ensuring safety.
Innovation Solution
The development of battery modules with a monolithically cast enclosure comprising two enclosure portions and a thermal portion, featuring thermal walls and interconnecting assemblies, along with pressure-relief valves and fluidic pathways, to facilitate integration and manage thermal and pressure issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If battery packs are positioned above the frame, then weight distribution is improved, but the vehicle's center of mass is raised
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into multiple modules, each with its own enclosure and thermal management system. This segmentation allows for optimized weight distribution while maintaining a lower center of mass through strategic placement of multiple smaller units rather than one large pack.
2Temperature
If battery packs are positioned below the frame, then the vehicle's center of mass is lowered, but road clearance is reduced and battery packs are exposed to potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure incorporates protective features such as reinforced walls, impact-resistant materials, and elevated mounting positions that cushion the battery modules against potential damage from road debris and harsh conditions before contact occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure uses composite materials that provide both structural strength and thermal insulation, protecting the battery modules from mechanical damage while maintaining thermal management efficiency in harsh environments.
3Volume of moving object
If battery packs are integrated into a truck's frame, then space utilization is improved, but frame modifications are required
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure serves multiple functions: it protects the battery modules, provides thermal management through integrated thermal walls, and acts as a structural component that can be mounted to various frame configurations without requiring custom frame modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery modules are designed to nest within the enclosure structure, with each module containing its own protective housing and thermal management components, allowing for compact integration into available space without frame modifications.
4Temperature
If cooling systems are provided for battery packs around the frame, then heat management is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system is merged with the enclosure structure itself. Thermal walls are integrated directly into the enclosure, eliminating the need for separate cooling chambers or complex external cooling systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure's thermal walls provide passive thermal management by conducting heat away from the battery modules through the enclosure structure itself, reducing the need for active cooling systems and associated complexity.
5Reliability
If battery packs are designed for long-term operation in harsh conditions, then reliability is improved, but access for maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is segmented into multiple independent modules, each with its own enclosure. This allows individual modules to be accessed, removed, or replaced without disturbing the entire system, facilitating easier maintenance while maintaining overall reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure design provides both protective functions for harsh condition operation and accessible mounting points and service ports that enable easy maintenance access, combining durability with serviceability in a single integrated structure.
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 solution provides efficient heat management, weight distribution, and safety features, enabling easy access for maintenance, while maintaining structural integrity and reducing the risk of damage from vibrations and extreme conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The enclosure can be a monolithically cast component
Implementation Method 2
the thermal portion comprises two thermal walls, which are operable as the bottoms of the two enclosure portions and form a thermal cavity between these thermal walls
Implementation Method 3
along with pressure-relief valves and fluidic pathways, to facilitate integration and manage thermal and pressure issues
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are battery modules and methods of fabricating thereof. In some examples, a battery module comprises an enclosure, separated into two enclosure portions and a thermal portion, positioned between the two enclosure portions. Two enclosure portions are in part defined by side walls, which can be tapered. The thermal portion comprises two thermal walls, which are operable as the bottoms of the two enclosure portions and form a thermal cavity between these thermal walls. In some examples, the enclosure is a monolithically cast component. Alternatively, the enclosure can be partially cast with one thermal wall welded thereafter to a cast subassembly. The battery module also comprises two sets of batteries, each positioned into a corresponding enclosure portion. Each battery set is interconnected with an interconnecting assembly, positioned between the battery set and the corresponding cover, for this enclosure portion.