Inter-Cell Strain Monitoring for Early Battery Swelling Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery monitoring systems for vehicles, particularly electric vehicles, struggle to detect or predict malfunctions such as thermal runaway quickly and reliably, especially due to the dense packing of battery cells which makes it difficult to identify early signs of expansion or deformation.
Innovation Solution
Integrate a battery monitoring device with planar measuring elements between adjacent battery cells that detect changes in shape, force, and/or pressure using strain-measuring structures like strain-gauges, such as strain-measuring structures, which are bonded to or connected with the adjacent battery cells, to monitor deformations and pressure, and an evaluation circuit to compare these measurements with predefined limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If battery cells are densely packed to increase energy density, then productivity and space utilization are improved, but measurement precision and detection capability deteriorate due to difficulty in identifying early signs of expansion or deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monitoring function into distributed strain-measuring structures integrated into individual separating elements between battery cells. Each separating element contains its own measuring structure, allowing localized detection of cell expansion or deformation without requiring dense cell spacing, thus resolving the contradiction between high energy density and detection precision
Solution Approach 2:
The separating element acts as an intermediary structure that serves dual purposes: providing thermal and electrical insulation between densely packed battery cells while simultaneously integrating strain-measuring structures to detect cell expansion or deformation. This mediator approach enables both high energy density and precise measurement capability
2Reliability
If separating elements are made thicker to provide better thermal and electrical insulation, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and space consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The separating element is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: thermal insulation, electrical insulation, and structural integration of strain-measuring structures. By combining these functions into a single component rather than adding separate elements, the patent achieves reliable insulation performance without increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the insulation function with the measurement function by integrating strain-measuring structures directly into the separating elements. This combination eliminates the need for additional separate components, maintaining structural simplicity while achieving both reliable insulation and effective monitoring
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
Enables fast and accurate detection of battery cell deformations and pressure changes, allowing for early prediction and prevention of malfunctions by integrating strain-measuring structures into the separating elements between battery cells, enhancing the reliability of battery monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
The strain-measuring structure can be formed, for example, by at least one strain gauge, a surface wave transducer, or a magnetic sensor
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a battery monitoring device (36) for a battery (10), wherein the battery (10) comprises several battery cells (12), wherein the battery monitoring device (36) has at least one planar measuring element (38) between adjacent battery cells (12), which can be arranged between two adjacent battery cells (12) such that the measuring element (38) can detect a change in shape of at least one of the battery cells (12), wherein the measuring element (38) can detect a deformation, and/or a force and/or a pressure acting on the measuring element (38), and with an evaluation circuit (40) which is connected to the at least one measuring element (38), wherein the measuring element (38) can output a measured value or a signal to the evaluation circuit (40) based on the detected deformation, force and/or pressure.and the evaluation circuit (40) can compare the at least one measured value or signal with a limit value for this measured value or signal and output an error signal if at least one limit value is exceeded. The invention further relates to a battery (10) with such a battery monitoring device (36),