Enhancing Impact Resistance and Structural Stability of Thermal Battery Cases Using Epoxy Molding: FEM Simulation and Experimental Validation

IF 4.5 3区材料科学 Q2 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Metals and Materials International Pub Date : 2026-07-10 DOI:10.1007/s12540-025-02198-x

Yeon Taek Choi, Jihye Kwon, Minu Kim, Hyungu Kang, Seung-Ho Kang, Heesook Roh, Sunghak Lee, Hyoung Seop Kim

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Abstract

Thermal batteries serve as critical power supply systems for military applications, including missiles and aerospace platforms, where stable operation is required under severe impact, high-temperature, and high-pressure conditions. This study introduces epoxy molding as a reinforcement strategy for the header lid of a thermal battery case, aiming to enhance its impact resistance. The effectiveness of this approach is systematically evaluated using finite element method (FEM) simulations and gas gun impact experiments. The epoxy molding demonstrated superior energy absorption and dissipation capabilities, substantially reducing the maximum depression depth at the center of the header lid. FEM simulations predicted that the addition of a 70 mm-diameter, 20 mm-high epoxy molding layer decreased the maximum depression depth to 0.78 mm, compared to 2.73 mm in the unreinforced case, corresponding to a reduction of over 70%. These predictions were validated by high correlation with experimental results obtained from gas gun impact tests. Additionally, the low thermal conductivity of epoxy minimizes heat dissipation, preserving the battery’s thermal efficiency, while its lightweight nature ensures negligible weight penalty, thereby maintaining the structural integrity of the battery system. These findings confirm that epoxy molding is a promising engineering solution for enhancing impact resistance, deformation suppression, mechanical durability, and operational reliability of thermal battery header lids.

Graphical Abstract

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环氧树脂成型提高热电池外壳的抗冲击性能和结构稳定性：有限元模拟与实验验证

热电池是军事应用的关键电源系统，包括导弹和航空航天平台，需要在严重冲击、高温和高压条件下稳定运行。本研究介绍了环氧树脂成型作为热电池箱体头盖的加固策略，旨在提高其抗冲击性。通过有限元模拟和气枪冲击实验，系统地评价了该方法的有效性。环氧树脂成型显示出优越的能量吸收和耗散能力，大大减少了顶盖中心的最大凹陷深度。有限元模拟预测，添加直径70 mm、高20 mm的环氧树脂成型层可将最大凹陷深度降低至0.78 mm，而未增强的情况下最大凹陷深度为2.73 mm，减少幅度超过70%。这些预测与气枪冲击试验结果高度相关，得到了验证。此外，环氧树脂的低导热性最大限度地减少了散热，保持了电池的热效率，同时其轻量化确保了可以忽略不计的重量损失，从而保持了电池系统的结构完整性。这些研究结果证实，环氧树脂成型是一种很有前途的工程解决方案，可提高热电池集箱盖的抗冲击性、变形抑制能力、机械耐久性和运行可靠性。图形抽象

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来源期刊

Metals and Materials International 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

7.10

自引率

8.60%

发文量

197

审稿时长

3.7 months

期刊介绍： Metals and Materials International publishes original papers and occasional critical reviews on all aspects of research and technology in materials engineering: physical metallurgy, materials science, and processing of metals and other materials. Emphasis is placed on those aspects of the science of materials that are concerned with the relationships among the processing, structure and properties (mechanical, chemical, electrical, electrochemical, magnetic and optical) of materials. Aspects of processing include the melting, casting, and fabrication with the thermodynamics, kinetics and modeling.