The need for eco-friendly vehicle powertrains has increased drastically in recent years. The most critical component of an electric vehicle is the battery pack/cell. The choice of the appropriate cell directly determines the size, performance, range, life, and cost of the vehicle. Lithium-ion batteries with high energy density and higher cycle life play a crucial role in the progress of the electric vehicle. However, the packaging of lithium-ion cells is expected to meet lots of assembly demands to increase their life and improve their functional safety.
Due to their low mechanical stability, the lithium-ion cell modules must have external pressure on the cell surface for improved performance. The cells must be stacked in a compressed condition to exert the desired pressure on the cell surface using compression foam/pads. The compression pads can be either packaged between each cell or once in every set of cells based on the cell assembly requirements.
This paper describes the need for a compression pad for lithium-ion cell modules and briefly highlights the different types of compression pads and their function. The study also explains how the compression pad selection must be performed for the improved cell performance and life of the cell. The different types of assembly processes of the compression pad are explained. It further shows the list of tests conducted to validate the function and life of the compression pad. The study concludes with the thickness optimization of the compression pad that meets all the requirements and also provides a cost-effective solution.