Long-Cell Battery Pack Assembly Without Transverse Beams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery packs for electric vehicles suffer from low space utilization and energy density due to the use of screws and beams, leading to inefficient use of housing volume, increased weight, and complex assembly processes, which hinder the development of electric vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design that optimizes space utilization by arranging cells in a manner where the length of each cell is between 600-2500 mm, allowing for higher cell density without expanding the occupied space, eliminating the need for transverse beams and reducing assembly complexity, thereby improving energy density and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screws and transverse beams are used to mount battery modules, then the battery modules can be securely fixed, but the space utilization and energy density of the battery pack decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the transverse beams and screws from the battery pack structure, extracting the mounting function to the housing walls directly. This eliminates the space occupied by these components while maintaining secure fixation of the battery modules through alternative mounting arrangements on the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing walls serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, define the pack boundaries, and directly mount the battery modules. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate transverse beams, improving space utilization while maintaining mounting stability.
2Strength
If end beams and side beams with certain thickness and height are designed, then the battery module structure is complete, but the space inside the housing is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thick, permanent beam structures with thinner, more efficient structural elements that occupy minimal space. The design accepts using lighter structural components that provide sufficient strength without the excessive volume consumption of traditional thick beams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the dimensional parameters of the structural beams, reducing their thickness and height to minimize space occupation. By optimizing these parameters, the structural integrity is maintained while maximizing the usable volume within the housing.
3Reliability
If battery modules are fixed on transverse beams by screws, then the modules are securely mounted, but the assembly process becomes complicated and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the transverse beams that require screw mounting, extracting the mounting function to the housing walls. This simplifies the assembly process by eliminating the need to attach beams and then mount modules to those beams, reducing both complexity and labor costs while maintaining secure mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of mounting modules to transverse beams and then securing the beams to the housing, the patent inverts the sequence by directly mounting modules to the housing walls. This reversal simplifies the assembly process and reduces the number of fastening operations required.
4Reliability
If multiple assembly procedures are required, then the battery pack can be properly constructed, but the defect rate increases and mounting stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the transverse beam intermediate structure and its associated screw mounting procedures, the patent reduces the number of assembly steps. This simplification decreases the opportunities for assembly errors and loosening, thereby reducing the defect rate while maintaining mounting stability through direct housing attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the housing with pre-integrated mounting features that allow direct attachment of battery modules. This preliminary preparation of the housing structure eliminates the need for multiple sequential assembly operations, reducing both defect rate and the risk of mounting instability from repeated assembly/disassembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack and an electric vehicle are provided. The battery pack includes a housing; and a plurality of cells, provided in the housing, wherein the sum V1 of the volumes of the plurality of cells and the volume V2 of the battery pack satisfy V1/V2≥55%. The battery pack has a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to each other. A length direction of the cell is arranged along the first direction of the battery pack, and the plurality of cells are arranged along the second direction of the battery pack. The cell comprises a cell body, and the length of the cell body is 400-2500 mm.