Embossed Cell Separator Pad for Battery Swelling and Heat Shielding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cell separating elements in high-voltage batteries require multiple components to achieve swelling compensation and thermal insulation, leading to increased material usage, installation space, weight, and manufacturing complexity.
Innovation Solution
A cell separating element with a shell-shaped first and second wall forming a cavity filled with fluid, featuring an embossed structural pattern that allows elastic and plastic deformation, providing swelling compensation and thermal insulation without additional components, and optionally integrated coolant channels for active cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple components are used to achieve swelling compensation and thermal insulation, then the functional requirements are met, but material usage and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines swelling compensation and thermal insulation functions into a single cell separating element. The element includes a compressible body with fluid-filled cavities that simultaneously provides mechanical swelling compensation and thermal insulation, eliminating the need for separate components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell separating element is designed as a multi-functional component that performs multiple tasks: thermal insulation between cells, swelling compensation through compressible structure, and potential cooling function through fluid circulation. This universal design reduces overall system complexity while meeting multiple requirements.
2Reliability
If multiple components are used for swelling compensation and thermal insulation, then functional requirements are satisfied, but installation space and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions previously requiring separate components are merged into one integrated cell separating element, reducing total weight. The compressible body with fluid cavities simultaneously handles both swelling compensation and thermal insulation, eliminating redundant materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell separating element uses a flexible compressible body with thin-walled fluid-filled cavities that provide high insulation performance and swelling compensation with minimal material mass, reducing overall weight compared to rigid multi-component structures.
3Reliability
If multiple components are used to achieve swelling compensation and thermal insulation, then functional requirements are met, but manufacturing and mounting effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into a single manufacturable component, reducing assembly steps. The cell separating element can be produced as one piece with embedded fluid cavities, eliminating the need to assemble multiple separate components during manufacturing and installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-functional design allows a single component to replace multiple specialized parts, simplifying the supply chain, manufacturing processes, and installation procedures while maintaining all required functions of swelling compensation and thermal insulation.
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 efficiently integrates swelling compensation and thermal insulation, reducing material usage and manufacturing complexity while enhancing battery performance and safety by preventing thermal propagation and cyclic swelling.
Implementation Method 1
the structural pattern is elastically deformable and/or plastically deformable such that a cavity volume of the cavity increases by a plastic deformation of the structural pattern
Implementation Method 2
the structural pattern is elastically deformable and/or plastically deformable such that a cavity volume of the cavity increases by a plastic deformation of the structural pattern
Implementation Method 3
provide a thermal insulation for example in the manner that a runaway cell is thermally insulated as far as the adjacent cells do not also catch fire or get in thermal runaway
Data Source
AI summary
A cell separating element for thermally shielding two battery cells and for arrangement between the two battery cells, of a battery, may include a first wall and a second wall opposing it, between which a cavity filled or fillable with a fluid is formed, to provide a pad filled or fillable with the fluid. In an example, the walls may be shell-shaped. At least the first wall may include an embossed, depressed structural pattern with at least one embossed, depressed structural element. The structural pattern, when the pad is compressed such that the at least one structural element has contact with an inner side of the second wall adjoining to the cavity, is elastically deformable and/or plastically deformable such that a cavity volume of the cavity increases by a plastic deformation of the structural pattern.