Ultrasonic Welding of Sensing Components to Nickel-Plated Bus Bars
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional welding techniques for coupling sensing components to bus bars in battery modules are time-consuming, expensive, and result in weak connections, leading to inaccurate measurements and potential disconnection.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic welding process is used to couple sensing components to bus bars within a bus bar carrier, where the bus bars are coated with nickel plating to enhance the strength of the weld, and the sensing components are positioned over indicators on the bus bars before assembly, ensuring a robust electrical connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional welding techniques are used to couple sensing components to bus bars, then the assembly process is simpler, but the connection strength is weak and the process is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical welding processes with ultrasonic welding technology. The ultrasonic welding device uses high-frequency mechanical vibrations to create strong metallurgical bonds between the sensing component terminals and the bus bar, eliminating the need for conventional welding methods while achieving superior connection strength and faster processing speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces nickel plating on the bus bar surface to modify the material parameters. This plating layer changes the surface properties of the bus bar, making it more suitable for ultrasonic welding by improving wettability and bond strength. The controlled application of nickel plating optimizes the welding parameters and ensures consistent, strong connections.
2Measurement precision
If traditional welding techniques are used, then the equipment cost is lower, but the measurement accuracy decreases due to weak connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional welding equipment with an ultrasonic welding device that operates on different physical principles. This substitution provides more precise control over the welding process, ensuring consistent and strong connections that maintain sensing accuracy. The ultrasonic welding process parameters can be precisely controlled to optimize the bond quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies nickel plating specifically at the welding interface between the sensing component terminals and the bus bar, rather than coating the entire bus bar. This localized treatment provides the necessary surface properties for strong welding only where needed, maintaining sensing accuracy while minimizing unnecessary material addition and process complexity.
3Strength
If nickel plating is applied to bus bars, then the weld strength is enhanced, but the manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nickel plating only to specific regions of the bus bar where welding connections are required, rather than coating the entire surface. This localized application enhances weld strength at critical interfaces while minimizing the amount of plating material and reducing the complexity of the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The nickel plating is applied to the bus bar before the ultrasonic welding process. This preliminary preparation ensures that the surface is optimally conditioned for welding before the components are assembled, simplifying the overall manufacturing process by separating the surface preparation step from the assembly and welding operations.
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 ultrasonic welding process strengthens the connection between sensing components and bus bars, improving the durability and accuracy of temperature and voltage monitoring in battery modules, while simplifying the assembly process.
Implementation Method 1
directing ultrasonic vibrations toward a first surface of the bus bar via an anvil
Implementation Method 2
melting at least a portion of the bus bar, the sensing component, or both, to form a molten material
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a battery module that includes a stack of battery cells disposed in a housing, where each battery cell of the stack of battery cells has a terminal, and a bus bar having a body and an indicator disposed on the body, where the bus bar is configured to couple a first terminal of a first battery cell of the stack of battery cells to a second terminal of a second battery cell of the stack of battery cells. The battery module also includes a sensing component disposed on the indicator and configured to monitor a condition of at least one battery cell of the stack of battery cells and a weld physically and electrically coupling the sensing component to the bus bar.