Structural Battery Beam With Compressed Solid-Cell Banks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The development of hybrid thermal/electric or all-electric vehicles requires more powerful batteries, leading to increased vehicle weight and space constraints, while existing electrochemical energy storage assemblies are complex to implement and may not ensure safety in accidents.
Innovation Solution
A structural electrochemical storage assembly comprising solid electrochemical storage elements with solid electrolytes, connected in series and parallel configurations, integrated into a beam with compressible material and insulating components, using a notch assembly system for secure electrical contact and compression, and made from extruded aluminum for structural integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If more powerful batteries are used to increase vehicle power, then vehicle power is improved, but vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the battery assembly with the vehicle's structural beam, merging two previously separate functions (energy storage and structural support) into a single integrated component. This eliminates the need for additional structural materials, thereby reducing overall vehicle weight while maintaining or increasing power capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the vehicle and houses the electrochemical energy storage devices. This multi-functionality allows the same component to contribute to both vehicle power and weight reduction, resolving the contradiction between these two parameters.
2Power
If more powerful batteries are used to increase vehicle power, then vehicle power is improved, but space occupied in the vehicle increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery assembly is merged with the vehicle's structural beam, utilizing the beam's internal volume for energy storage. This integration allows the battery components to occupy space that would otherwise be structurally empty or underutilized, thereby increasing power capacity without proportionally increasing the vehicle's external dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a conventional three-dimensional battery placement to a two-dimensional integration within the beam's cross-sectional area. By utilizing the beam's internal cavity space, the design effectively adds a fourth dimension (internal structural volume) for energy storage, reducing the impact on overall vehicle space occupation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex assembly methods are used to integrate electrochemical cells into structural components, then structural integration is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery assembly is divided into modular electrochemical cells that can be independently manufactured and then assembled into the beam structure. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of individual components and easier integration into the structural beam, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrochemical cells are nested within the beam's internal cavity, with each cell fitting into a predetermined space. This nesting arrangement simplifies the assembly process by providing clear spatial relationships and reducing the need for complex alignment procedures, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while achieving structural integration.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional battery assemblies are used without structural integration, then ease of manufacture is improved, but safety in the event of accidents deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the battery assembly with the vehicle's structural beam, the battery components benefit from the beam's inherent safety features and crash protection. The structural integration ensures that the battery is protected during accidents, improving reliability and safety without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam structure provides beforehand cushioning and protection for the electrochemical cells during potential accidents. The structural design anticipates crash scenarios and incorporates protective features that cushion the battery components, improving safety before an accident occurs while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard structural design practices.
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
This solution provides a safer, more efficient energy storage system that reduces weight and space usage in vehicles, ensuring reliable electrical contact and structural integrity, while simplifying assembly through compression and notch assembly methods.
Implementation Method 1
at least one component which is made of compressible material and which is arranged and compressed between said at least two superimposed blocks of electrochemical storage elements
Implementation Method 2
each electrochemical storage element being composed of a cell with solid electrolyte and two external current collection means which are constituted by a negative current collection means and a positive current collection means
Data Source
AI summary
A structural electrochemical storage assembly for a motor vehicle includes an electrochemical energy storage device including at least a group of two banks of solid electrochemical storage elements, the banks being superposed on top of one another, and at least one piece made of compressible material, which is positioned and compressed between the at least two superposed banks of electrochemical storage elements, and a beam including two profile sections hollowed out and open on one of their faces and assembled with one another via their respective open face and along their respective edges, the profile sections containing the device of the at least two superposed banks of electrochemical storage elements, and the two profiled elements being dimensioned and assembled so as to keep the piece of compressible material that is positioned between the two superposed electrochemical banks compressed.