Design of a multi-functional SMC-aluminum battery tray and its integral production process

Functional integration and lightweight design are important tasks especially for modern electric vehicles. Development of multi-functional assemblies for the battery box of the future is one of the challenges in the field of electric mobility. The housing must perform many tasks: structural stiffening and sealing (waterproofness) as well as crash protection and thermal management for the batteries. The goal of the project presented is to develop a multifunctional lightweight battery housing that provides a higher safety to passengers and a faster charging than current systems based on these requirements.
The battery frame is designed stiff enough to withstand impacting parts (vehicle parts, bollard, pole, stones, etc.), in the event of a crash using a sandwich structure with an aluminum foam core, one aluminum and one FRP cover sheet. Passive thermal management functions are integrated into the sandwich core realized with switchable air-cooling and phase-change-material integrated into the foam. Additionally, sensors for structural health monitoring, temperature as well as humidity sensors are integrated. Simulation results as well as experimental data will be part of the publication. The outer housing shell is an automotive SMC formed and joined at the same time with the aluminum component. With focus on flexibility and efficient production, the integral process will be shown.
Results of a running joined 2-years German and Swedish project in electric mobility applications, lightweight design and process technology for an innovative lightweight multifunctional battery housing will be presented. The first contacts of the project consortium were established on a cooperation between LIGHTer and the Fraunhofer Project Center in Wolfsburg.