Pouch Cell Pressure Plate and Cam Control for Battery Swelling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery pouch cells in electric and hybrid vehicles experience pressure changes due to charging, discharging, and aging, which can negatively affect their charging and power storage capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A pressure management system that includes a pressure plate, a mechanical linkage, and a rotatable component, such as a cam, which translates expansion forces into reverse forces to maintain constant pressure within the battery cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If battery cells are allowed to expand freely during charging and aging, then the internal pressure increases and cell volume increases, but this leads to detrimental effects on charging capability and power storage capability
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure plate applies a counteracting force to balance the expansion force generated by the battery cell. The mechanical linkage system translates the expansion force into a reverse force that opposes the expansion, maintaining constant pressure on the cell during charging and aging cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic adjustment of the pressure plate position through the rotatable component and mechanical linkage. When expansion force exceeds threshold, the linkage moves laterally and rotates the cam, allowing the pressure plate to move and increase enclosure volume, thereby dynamically adapting to cell expansion while maintaining pressure control.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid constraint is applied to prevent battery cell expansion, then pressure stability is improved, but the cell cannot accommodate volume changes during charging cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure management system transitions from a static rigid constraint to a dynamic adaptive mechanism. The mechanical linkage with rotatable component enables the system to adjust the enclosure volume in response to expansion force threshold, allowing the cell to expand when needed while maintaining pressure control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the battery cell's own expansion force to drive the mechanical linkage, which automatically adjusts the pressure plate position and enclosure volume. The cam's eccentric center of gravity enables automatic return to initial position when expansion force decreases, creating a self-regulating system.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a mechanical linkage system with rotatable component is implemented to maintain constant pressure, then pressure control and cell expansion accommodation are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical linkage system is designed to be self-actuating, using the battery cell's expansion force directly to drive the cam and pressure plate. The eccentric center of gravity of the cam provides automatic return functionality without additional actuators or control systems, reducing overall system complexity despite the mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical linkage acts as an intermediary that translates the expansion force into controlled pressure management. The cam mechanism serves as a compact intermediary component that converts lateral movement of the linkage into rotational motion, enabling complex functionality through a simple mechanical intermediary.
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
The system effectively maintains constant pressure on battery cells, preventing negative effects like dendrite growth and allowing for automatic adjustment to accommodate cell expansion, thereby enhancing battery functionality and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
a mechanical linkage attached to the pressure plate, the mechanical linkage configured to translate the expansion force to a reverse force that is opposed to the expansion force, and a rotatable component connected to the mechanical linkage, the rotatable component configured to rotate from a first orientation to a second orientation based on lateral movement of the mechanical linkage
Implementation Method 2
the cam has an eccentric center of gravity selected so that the cam is configured to return to the first orientation when the expansion force is less than the threshold force
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure management system includes a pressure plate disposed at an initial position relative to a battery cell, the battery cell disposed in a housing, the pressure plate and the housing defining an enclosure, where an increase in an internal pressure of the battery cell causes an expansion force to be applied to the pressure plate. The system includes a mechanical linkage attached to the pressure plate, the mechanical linkage configured to translate the expansion force to a reverse force that is opposed to the expansion force, and a rotatable component connected to the mechanical linkage, the rotatable component configured to rotate from a first orientation to a second orientation based on lateral movement of the mechanical linkage to allow the pressure plate to move and increase a volume of the enclosure.