1P15S lithium battery pack: Aluminum 5052-0 strength of material analysis and optimization

Abstract

The electric vehicle energy source comes from electric energy stored in a battery unit. The battery unit composed of battery cells which have connected series or parallel or combination of both and placed in a component called battery pack. Battery pack is mechanical assembly comprising battery cells and retaining frame or trays, and possibly components for battery management. Battery Management System (BMS) requires battery pack design which have the ability to support battery cells mass and its support components. Battery pack design is involving strength of material analysis to know stress response that occurs on the structure due to components mass in it. The strength of material analysis use Finite Element Method (FEM) (Von Mises equivalent stress combined with Allowable Stress Design (ASD)) to get optimize design based on the most optimum material thickness. The battery pack Computer Aided Design (CAD) made to 15 pieces battery cells with no parallel and 15 series format (1P15S) and its support components so load occurring on the battery pack is 1,250 N. The result of container shaped of aluminum 5052-0 battery pack design shows that stress concentration occurred in base of the battery pack, with maximum Von Mises in the area around the battery pack base with vehicle frame. Furthermore, the optimum battery pack design is using 2mm material thickness and the optimal mass is 6.51 kg.