Reinforced Battery Module End Plates for Prismatic Cell Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prismatic battery cells with high energy density experience significant dimensional changes during charge and discharge, requiring strong end plates to suppress expansion, but existing end plates made of plastic and metal are prone to deformation under high forces, compromising their ability to maintain cell positioning and energy density.
Innovation Solution
The battery module employs end plates composed of stacked first and second metal sheets with bent side pieces and bending ridges, reinforced with metal rods, forming tubular structures to enhance strength against vertical and widthwise bending, ensuring the end plates can withstand the cell reaction force without deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If end plates are made of plastic body part and metal plate to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but strength against bending is insufficient causing deformation under high cell reaction force
Solution Approach 1:
The end plate uses a composite structure combining plastic body part with multiple metal sheets (first metal sheet, second metal sheet, third metal sheet) stacked and fixed together. This composite construction provides both weight reduction from the plastic base and enhanced strength from the layered metal reinforcement, resolving the contradiction between lightweight design and bending strength requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-plane metal plate to a three-dimensional stacked structure with metal sheets arranged in multiple layers (first, second, and third metal sheets) at different positions. This dimensional approach distributes the bending loads across multiple planes, significantly increasing resistance to deformation while maintaining weight efficiency.
2Force
If greater force is applied to suppress expansion of high energy density battery cells, then expansion is suppressed, but end plates are likely to be damaged or deformed
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-material composite end plate (plastic + stacked metal sheets) distributes the high binding forces across different materials with complementary properties. The metal sheets provide high strength and stiffness to withstand compression forces, while the plastic body provides structural support and force distribution, preventing localized deformation and maintaining reliability under high loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The end plate is segmented into multiple functional components: plastic body part for structural support, first metal sheet for bending resistance, second metal sheet with tubular reinforcement for enhanced stiffness, and third metal sheet for additional strength. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in resisting specific types of stress, collectively maintaining integrity under high binding forces.
3Quantity of substance
If prismatic battery cells with higher energy density per volume and weight are adopted, then energy density is improved, but dimensional change during charge and discharge increases requiring stronger binding
Solution Approach 1:
The composite end plate structure with stacked metal sheets on plastic base provides the enhanced strength and stiffness required to constrain the greater dimensional changes of high energy density battery cells. The metal sheets act as reinforcement layers that resist expansion forces while allowing the battery cells to maintain their high energy density characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the mechanical parameters of the end plate by introducing multiple metal sheets with different orientations and reinforcement features (including tubular reinforcement in the second metal sheet). This modifies the end plate's stiffness and strength parameters to match the increased dimensional stability requirements of high energy density battery cells.
Data Source
AI summary
A pair of end plates of a battery module are disposed respectively at end faces of a battery stack. Each of the end plates includes a first metal sheet, a second metal sheet, and a metal rod. The first metal sheet includes a plate part corresponding to a shape of each of the end faces of the battery stack, and a bent side piece provided at each of widthwise sides of the plate part. The second metal sheet includes a parallel plate part stacked on and fixed to the plate part of the first metal sheet, and a bending ridge that connects with each of sides of the parallel plate part and extends along widths of the end plates. A tubular reinforcement is defined on an inner side of the bending ridge. A metal rod is disposed in the tubular reinforcement and has ends connected to the bind bar.