Long-Cell Battery Pack Layout 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 that occupy valuable space, leading to inefficient assembly processes, increased costs, and reduced reliability.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design that optimizes space utilization by arranging cells in a manner where the length of each cell extends across the width or length of the pack, eliminating the need for transverse beams and reducing the use of end and side beams, thereby increasing the ratio of cell volume to pack volume to ≥55%, enhancing energy density and assembly efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screws and transverse beams are used to fix battery modules in the housing, then the battery modules can be securely mounted, but the space utilization and energy density of the battery pack decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes transverse beams and screws from the battery pack structure, extracting the mounting function to the housing itself. The housing directly accommodates battery modules at its bottom surface without intermediate supporting structures, eliminating space-consuming components while maintaining secure mounting through direct contact and structural integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, directly mounts battery modules, and defines the pack volume. By making the housing multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate transverse beams and mounting fixtures, thereby improving space utilization while maintaining mounting reliability.
2Strength
If end beams and side beams with certain thickness and height are designed for battery modules, then the modules can be properly supported and fixed, but the volume of the housing is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes end beams and side beams from the battery module structure, extracting the support function to the housing. Battery modules are directly positioned and supported by the housing's bottom surface, eliminating the need for thick-beamed module structures and maximizing the usable volume within the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thin-walled battery modules without heavy beam structures. The modules use minimal structural material while maintaining strength through optimized shell design, allowing them to be directly supported by the housing without requiring thick end beams or side beams, thereby improving volume utilization.
3Reliability
If battery modules are fixed on transverse beams by screws, then the modules can be securely attached, but the assembly process becomes complicated and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes screws and transverse beams from the assembly process, extracting the mounting function to direct placement of battery modules on the housing bottom. This simplifies assembly to a single operation without requiring multiple fastening steps, reducing labor costs while maintaining secure attachment through structural integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is pre-designed with integrated mounting surfaces and structural features that directly support battery modules. This preliminary design of the housing eliminates the need for separate mounting operations, allowing battery modules to be directly positioned and secured without complex assembly procedures.
4Reliability
If multiple assembly procedures are required for battery pack assembly, then proper mounting can be achieved, but the defect rate increases and mounting stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the housing structure with the mounting function, combining structural support and module fixation into a single integrated design. This eliminates multiple separate assembly procedures (module assembly, then mounting) and replaces them with a single direct placement operation, improving both efficiency and reliability by reducing the number of potential failure points.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is pre-designed with integrated mounting surfaces, positioning features, and structural reinforcement at the bottom surface. This preliminary design ensures that battery modules can be directly and securely mounted in a single operation, eliminating the need for multiple assembly steps and reducing the risk of mounting instability from repeated operations.
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.