Counter Holder Support for EV Battery Module Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mass production of electric vehicle traction batteries, irregularities in battery housing bases lead to inefficiencies in the module setting process, increasing material costs and impairing battery performance due to the use of thermal paste and lack of adaptation in counter holder support surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A counter holder with dimensionally flexible, elastically yielding support surfaces that adapt to the housing base contour, ensuring a gap-free contact and supporting the housing base against thermal paste viscosity forces, and featuring adjustable segments and a clamping unit for optimal support during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dimensionally stable counter holder support surface is used, then the housing base is supported during assembly, but irregularities in the housing base contour lead to poor contact and increased thermal paste requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The counter holder support surface is made dynamically adaptable through elastically yielding segments that can adjust their position. The support surface comprises multiple independently adjustable segments that can yield elastically to adapt to irregularities in the housing base contour, transforming a static rigid surface into a dynamic adaptive one that maintains reliable contact while accommodating manufacturing variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the support surface is changed from rigid and dimensionally stable to elastically yielding. By changing the mechanical parameters of the support surface segments to allow elastic deformation, the system can adapt to varying housing base contours while maintaining stable support during the assembly process.
2Temperature
If thermal paste is used to fill air gaps, then thermal conductivity is improved, but material costs increase and battery performance is impaired due to irregular housing base contours
Solution Approach 1:
The counter holder support surface adaptively conforms to the housing base contour before thermal paste application. By preliminarily adapting the support surface to eliminate air gaps through elastic yielding, the system reduces the amount of thermal paste needed to achieve proper thermal contact, applying thermal paste only where actually required rather than filling unnecessary gaps.
Solution Approach 2:
The irregularities in the housing base contour, which are normally harmful requiring excess thermal paste, are converted into beneficial information. The elastically yielding support segments detect and adapt to these irregularities, using the contour variations themselves to guide the adaptation process and achieve optimal contact without excessive material consumption.
3Manufacturing precision
If the counter holder support surface is made dimensionally flexible to adapt to housing base contours, then surface contact is improved, but the ability to support against viscosity forces may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The support surface is divided into multiple independently adjustable segments rather than a single rigid structure. Each segment can yield elastically to adapt to local irregularities in the housing base contour while collectively providing distributed support force. This segmentation allows localized adaptation without compromising overall structural support capability against viscosity forces.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the support surface have different degrees of elasticity and adaptability tailored to local requirements. Each segment can be independently adjusted to provide the appropriate balance between surface adaptation and force support based on the specific local contour irregularities, rather than applying uniform properties across the entire support surface.
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 solution improves the module setting process by ensuring full surface support and uniform thermal paste distribution, reducing material costs and enhancing battery performance by adapting to irregularities in the housing base and managing viscosity forces effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the counter holder support surface is adjustable in a dimensionally flexible manner, in particular elastically yielding, in the impression operating position, so that the counter holder support surface adapts to a surface contour of the housing base lower side
Implementation Method 2
a viscosity force builds up in the thermal paste due to its internal friction (i.e. due to its reduced flowability). This acts against the bottom of the housing until the thermal paste is distributed in the air gap by the flow of material, which is accompanied by a reduction in the viscosity force
Data Source
AI summary
A method for assembling a traction battery for an electrically operated vehicle, in which at least one battery module is inserted into a battery housing in a module setting process, with the formation of an air gap between the battery module and a housing base of the battery housing, which is filled with a highly viscous thermal paste, which builds up a viscosity force due to internal friction when it is distributed in the air gap, which acts on the housing base until the thermal paste is distributed in the air gap by the flow of material and the accompanying reduction in the viscosity force. The housing base is supported on its housing base lower side by a counter holder in order to limit a deflection of the housing base due to the viscosity force of the thermal paste.