Extruded Battery Housing Base for Cooling and Cell Preloading

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current battery housing solutions for motor vehicles face challenges in balancing cost-effectiveness, design freedom, thermal conductivity, dimensional stability, and preloading capabilities, particularly with metallic and plastic materials, while also needing to protect against water ingress and gas escape.

Innovation Solution

A battery housing concept utilizing an extruded profile as a trough or U-shaped housing base made of aluminum, which can be bent to integrate battery cells and features cooling fins or channels for passive or active cooling, and can be sealed with end caps to ensure liquid and gas tightness, allowing for modular and cost-effective design.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If plastic housing bases are used, then design freedom and flexibility are improved, but dimensional stability and thermal conductivity deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign freedomVSAvoiddimensional stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The housing base uses an aluminum extruded profile as a structural framework providing dimensional stability and thermal conductivity, combined with a plastic cover that provides design freedom and flexibility. This composite structure integrates the advantages of both materials to resolve the contradiction between design freedom and dimensional stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If metal housing bases are used, then thermal conductivity and dimensional stability are improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedimensional stabilityVSAvoidhousing weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The housing base combines an aluminum extruded profile framework with a plastic cover. The aluminum profile provides the necessary dimensional stability and thermal conductivity, while the plastic cover reduces the overall weight compared to a fully metal housing, thus resolving the contradiction between dimensional stability and weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Adaptability or versatility

If multi-part metal housings are used, then design flexibility is improved, but sealing complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign flexibilityVSAvoidsealing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The housing base uses a one-piece aluminum extruded profile that serves as both the structural framework and the sealing surface, eliminating the need for separate sealing components between metal parts. The plastic cover is designed to mate with this profile, providing design flexibility while simplifying the sealing arrangement and reducing manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Ease of manufacture

If one-piece plastic housings are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but preloading capability and mechanical strength deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidmechanical strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The housing base combines an aluminum extruded profile that provides the mechanical strength and preloading capability with a plastic cover that reduces manufacturing cost. The aluminum profile acts as a structural reinforcement, enabling the housing to achieve the mechanical properties of metal housing while maintaining the cost advantages of plastic manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 provides a lightweight, dimensionally stable, and cost-effective battery housing that enables efficient cooling and preloading of battery cells, while ensuring mechanical protection and sealing, thus addressing the limitations of existing solutions.

Implementation Method 1

the extruded profile can simultaneously serve as a tension rod for prestressing prismatic and transversely inserted battery cells... The extruded profile has cooling fins for passive air cooling or cooling channels for active liquid cooling

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

In order to integrate the battery cells into the housing in a form-fitting manner, the extruded profile is bent open in its elastic region and can be 'bent back' after the integration of the battery cells

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3753064B1Battery for a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.03.13 VITESCO TECH GERMANY GMBH
  • EP3753064B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3753064B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3753064B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a battery for a motor vehicle having at least one battery cell, and a housing floor, which is designed as an extruded profile, particularly in the form of a tub. According to the invention, an extruded profile in tub form or in U-form is used as part of the battery housing, wherein the extruded profile is initially open at the end faces. The extruded profile therefore has a first floor section, from which two lateral surfaces extend upward on opposite sides of the floor section or floor surface. According to the invention, this enables the use of both passive and active cooling and can be used in a modular manner. According to the invention, an interlocking integration of the battery cells can be advantageously achieved by bending the extruded profile up. This concept can be used equally for prismatic and for pouch battery cells.