Prismatic Conductive Battery Housing for Fast Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cylindrical batteries in electric vehicles face inefficiencies in integration into rectangular-shaped battery packs, leading to increased heat development, extended charging times, and complex manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
A prismatic battery cell with a conductive casing and integrated cathode and anode tabs that extend along the width and height of the casing, eliminating the need for a separate current collector, allowing for efficient stacking and reduced heat losses through distributed electron pathways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If cylindrical batteries are used, then the battery cell can be manufactured with a conductive can design, but the integration into rectangular-shaped battery packs is inefficient and leaves large volume unoccupied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional cylindrical battery design by using a prismatic cell shape with the conductive function integrated into the casing structure. This allows the battery to fit efficiently in rectangular battery packs while maintaining the electrical conductivity benefits of can designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The prismatic cell design serves multiple functions: it provides structural containment, enables efficient packing in rectangular battery packs, and maintains electrical conductivity through the casing. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and space utilization.
2Productivity
If high current is used during charging, then charging time is reduced, but heat generation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generation into a beneficial effect by using the conductive casing as a heat dissipation pathway. The same conductive structure that enables fast charging also serves to extract and manage the heat generated during high-current charging operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive casing acts as an intermediary between the battery cells and the cooling system. It provides a direct thermal pathway for heat extraction, enabling the battery to withstand higher charging currents by efficiently managing the heat that would otherwise be harmful.
3Temperature
If active cooling system is used to extract heat, then cell temperatures are kept down, but charging time is extended due to current reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive casing provides continuous heat extraction throughout the charging process, allowing the battery to maintain lower temperatures even during high-current fast charging. This eliminates the need to reduce current for thermal management, maintaining charging speed while controlling temperature.
4Stability of the object's composition
If cylindrical batteries are integrated into battery packs using pre-fabricated matrix structure, then cells are maintained in proper position, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the integration approach by using prismatic cells that naturally fit into rectangular battery packs without requiring complex pre-fabricated matrix structures. The cell shape itself provides the stability and positioning, eliminating the need for additional complex support structures.
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 prismatic design facilitates fast charging with reduced heat development, simplifies manufacturing, and optimizes space utilization in battery packs, while maintaining a lightweight and efficient electrical pathway.
Implementation Method 1
a conductive cover (15) being attached to the casing body (14), the conductive cover (15) defining a top plane of the battery cell (12), a first terminal (25) being situated at or near the top plane, conductively connected to the cover (15), the other of the cathode tabs (18) and anode tabs (22) extending in the width direction (x) along a section of an upper side of the stack of layer assemblies (16), and being connected to a conductor (52) extending via an opening in the cover (15) to at or near the top plane and connected to the cover (15) via an insulator member (55) forming a second terminal (24) at or near the top plane of the cell
Implementation Method 2
The prismatic design facilitates fast charging with reduced heat development
Implementation Method 3
reduced heat losses through distributed electron pathways
Data Source
AI summary
A battery cell, suitable for use in an electric vehicle, includes a prismatic conductive casing having an electrically conductive casing body with a width (W), a height (H) and a thickness (T) and having a generally rectangular cross-section when seen in the thickness direction (z). A stack of layer assemblies is accommodated in the casing body, each layer assembly including a cathode layer, an anode layer and a separator layer there between, the layers extending in a width direction (x) and in a height direction (y) and being of a generally rectangular shape, a stack height extending in the thickness direction (z). The cathode and anode layers each include a cathode tab and an anode tab, respectively, one set of tabs extending in the width direction (x) along a lower part, substantially along the width (W) of the casing and being in conductive contact with a bottom of the casing.