Variable-Thickness Cell Spacers for Battery Breathing Cycles

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery cell spacers fail to maintain sufficient thermal isolation and structural integrity over multiple breathing cycles due to deformation from the cyclic volume changes of battery cells, leading to reduced effectiveness in limiting thermal conduction and compromising the battery system's lifespan.

Innovation Solution

The use of cell spacers with a center portion thicker than the border portions and a mirror-symmetrical shape, such as elliptical or stepped, ensures even distribution of forces and maintains distance between battery cells, preventing deformation and maintaining thermal isolation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If uniform thickness cell spacers are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the spacers deform during breathing cycles and fail to maintain thermal isolation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal isolation effectivenessVSAvoidcell spacer structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cell spacer employs varying thickness across different regions, with the center portion having greater thickness than the border portions. This local quality variation allows the thicker center to resist deformation during breathing cycles while maintaining the overall spacer function, thereby preserving thermal isolation effectiveness without requiring complete structural redesign

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The cell spacer is pre-formed with a non-uniform thickness profile before installation. This preliminary shaping anticipates the deformation that would occur with uniform thickness spacers, pre-positioning the material distribution to compensate for breathing cycle effects and maintain consistent thermal isolation performance throughout the battery's operational life

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If cell spacers maintain distance between battery cells, then thermal isolation is improved, but structural integrity degrades due to deformation from breathing cycles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedistance maintenance between cellsVSAvoidcell spacer structural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The cell spacer deliberately uses asymmetric thickness distribution rather than uniform symmetry. The center portion is thicker to provide structural support where it is most needed for maintaining cell spacing, while thinner borders reduce material usage. This asymmetric design optimizes both strength and stability simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

3Reliability

If cell spacers are designed with varying thickness, then deformation resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeformation resistanceVSAvoidcell spacer fabrication

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cell spacer design modifies the thickness parameter across different spatial locations rather than maintaining a constant value. This parameter change from uniform to varying thickness is achieved through standard manufacturing techniques like injection molding with varied cavity depth, making the solution practical while significantly improving deformation resistance during breathing cycles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 proposed cell spacers effectively isolate battery cells thermally and maintain structural integrity over many breathing cycles, ensuring consistent performance and prolonging the battery system's lifespan.

Implementation Method 1

limiting thermal conduction between adjacent battery cells

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP4613538A1Battery system with improved cell spacers

Publication Date: 2025.09.10 SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure refers to a battery system (100, 100'), including a plurality of battery cells (12) arranged along an alignment axis, and a cell spacer (14, 14') disposed in each gap between adjacent ones of the battery cells (12), wherein the cell spacer (14, 14') includes a center portion (15) and border portions (16) adjoining the center portion (15), wherein the center portion (15) has a larger thickness than the adjoining border portions (16), wherein opposite outer surfaces of the cell spacer (14, 14') are arranged at the same distance but in opposite directions from a central plane, the central plane being perpendicular to the alignment axis and extending through the center portion (15) and border portions (16).