Prismatic Battery Cell Floating Assembly Eliminates Clamping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional lithium-ion battery modules require bulky clamping mechanisms to mitigate cell swelling, which adds weight and complexity, and there is a need for improved power sources for electric vehicles that reduce or eliminate these clamping mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The use of prismatic lithium-ion battery cells with a floating assembly design, where cells are suspended by fixed protrusions, eliminating the need for clamping forces and allowing for reduced swelling, and incorporating chemistries like NMC and LTO to minimize swelling, enabling a gap between cells without external compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If traditional clamping mechanisms are used to mitigate cell swelling, then cell position stability is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the clamping mechanism entirely from the battery module design. Instead of using external compression devices, the invention relies on the natural properties of the battery cells and their mounting structure to maintain position stability during swelling and contraction cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery cells are designed to self-accommodate their swelling and contraction through a floating mounting system. The cells naturally adjust their position within the module without requiring external active control or mechanical intervention, eliminating the need for complex clamping mechanisms.
2Stability of the object's composition
If clamping mechanisms are used to compress battery cells, then cell position stability is improved, but weight of the battery module increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the weight of clamping mechanisms by completely removing them from the battery module design. The floating mounting system uses minimal structural elements to hold cells in place while allowing natural volume changes during charge-discharge cycles.
3Stability of the object's composition
If clamping mechanisms are used to mitigate cell swelling, then cell position stability is improved, but the volume occupied by clamping features increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes clamping features entirely, eliminating the volume they would occupy within the battery module. The floating mounting system requires minimal space, allowing for more efficient packing of active cell volume within the module housing.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional battery cell designs are used, then manufacturing compatibility is maintained, but energy density is reduced due to required clamping space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the mounting parameters from fixed compression to floating suspension, allowing cells to maintain their standard dimensions and manufacturing specifications while eliminating the need for additional clamping space. This increases the active cell volume fraction within the module, thereby improving energy density.
Data Source
AI summary
Present embodiments include a lithium ion battery module and associated lithium ion battery cells. The lithium ion battery cells include a prismatic cell casing enclosing electrochemically active components. The cell thickness, the cell width, the cell length, and the electrochemically active components are such that the lithium ion battery cell has a volumetric energy density between 82 Watt-hours per Liter (Wh/L) and 153 Wh/L, and has a nominal voltage between 2.0 V and 4.2 V.