The ITB Group reposted this
Reducing EV Battery Pack Complexity Through Functional Integration Battery pack design (outside the cells) will increasingly contribute to improving vehicle cost and performance. Battery pack systems may be complex but can and will be simplified over the next decade. Rather than emphasizing improved individual components, battery architecture changes will be a priority. A key to improving battery pack systems is working from first principles to determine which components should have which functions. Rearranging component functions can eliminate unnecessary materials and sub-functions. To learn more about The ITB Group work in vehicle technologies, batteries, thermal, and fluid management see our full blog at https://lnkd.in/exXWzfSn. Although the opportunity to improve battery pack value through integration is clear, the exact pathways and timing are not. Virtually all automakers are developing integrated battery pack designs. It is imperative that companies make battery design changes soon to remain competitive with rapid battery pack developments in China. Companies like FinDreams and CATL are leading the way. CATL’s latest battery pack architecture is a benchmark. This design uses multi-functional coldplates which increase pack stiffness, hold the cells, compensate for cell expansion, and increase thermal area. Further, the integrated design reduces thermal interface materials, cell separators, and structural adhesives. CATL claims this scalable design can double thermal performance for faster charging while improving vehicle range by 17% with 40% less battery pack complexity, and 15% less cost. Multi-functional battery components require that new designs, materials, and processes be developed, and such technical advancements are uncertain. Automotive systems and material suppliers are developing polymeric, composite, and hybrid material multi-functional battery components to eliminate separate components, materials, and interfaces, while reducing assembly cost and improving sustainability. In the long run, high functional integration requires new designs but many barriers such as durability and crash resistance must be overcome. #electricvehicles #EVbatteries #Batterythermal #automotivethermal #evthermal
Market Manager Genestar PA9T at Kuraray America, Inc.
1moThanks, Sean. I look forward to learning more at your Battery Pack Integration conference next month.