Prismatic Energy Storage Module Insulating Jacket Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy storage modules for motor vehicles are complex to manufacture and require special safety measures due to electrical contact protection issues, with inadequate protection against accidental contact and deformation challenges during assembly.
Innovation Solution
The energy storage module features a prismatic design with an insulating jacket formed from overlapping jacket halves that provides electrical insulation, allowing for simplified assembly and high-voltage safety, along with adhesive layers or shrink tubes for additional insulation and thermal protection, enabling efficient production without special safety measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single-piece insulating jacket is used to completely surround the storage cells, then electrical insulation protection is improved, but assembly complexity and difficulty increase due to the need for special protective measures during manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating jacket is divided into two separate jacket halves instead of being a single-piece structure. Each half can be independently assembled around the storage cells, eliminating the need for complex protective measures during manufacturing while maintaining complete electrical insulation protection when the halves are joined together at the overlapping ends.
2Stability of the object's composition
If storage cells are tightly clamped between end plates via tie rods, then mechanical stability is improved, but electrical contact protection deteriorates due to increased risk of accidental contact
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating jacket acts as an intermediary barrier between the conductive tie rods/end plates and the storage cells. This mediator provides both mechanical clamping force for stability and electrical insulation protection, preventing accidental contact while maintaining the mechanical stability of the assembly.
3Device complexity
If cooling ribs are integrated as tie rods, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase due to the need for corresponding slots in storage cells
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling function is extracted from the tie rod structure. Instead of integrating cooling ribs as tie rods requiring precise slot alignment, separate cooling plates are positioned adjacent to the storage cells with cooling channels, eliminating the need for precision slot machining in the storage cells while maintaining structural simplicity.
4Reliability
If electrical connections are provided on opposite sides of storage cells, then electrical insulation is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficult handling during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating jacket serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electrical insulation between storage cells with opposite-side connections, maintains mechanical stability, and facilitates easy assembly by enclosing all components in a single housing structure, eliminating the need for separate protective measures during handling.
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 solution enhances manufacturability, reduces assembly complexity, ensures high-voltage safety, and maintains long-term functionality by minimizing component movement and providing effective electrical and thermal insulation, allowing for a space-optimized and cost-effective energy storage module.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating jacket with electrical insulating properties that completely surrounds the row of storage cells, with the electrical insulating properties of the insulating jacket being such that it provides protection against accidental contact
Implementation Method 2
adhesive layers or shrink tubes for additional insulation and thermal protection
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an energy storage module (1) for a device for supplying voltage, in particular to a motor vehicle, said device being constructed from a number of energy storage modules (1), said energy storage module (1) being constructed from several prismatic storage cells (10), which are arranged one behind the other so as to be stacked in at least one row (60, 61) and which are clamped between two end plates (30, 35) by means of tension rods (40, 41, 42). The energy storage module according to the invention is characterized in that each row (60, 61) of storage cells is separated from the end plates (30, 35) and the tension rods (40, 41, 42) by an insulating jacket (50, 55) that completely encircles the row (60, 61) of storage cells and that has electrical insulation properties. The electrical insulation properties of the insulating jacket (50, 55) are such that the insulating jacket provides contact protection regarding a voltage obtained by serially connecting all storage cells (10) of the energy storage module and/or regarding a voltage obtained by serially connecting the energy storage modules (1).