Structural Design and Simulation of Battery Enclosure for an Electric Vehicle against Mechanical Abuse Test

Safety of a battery pack of an electric vehicle against impact is necessary as it possess a severe fire hazard. In this paper, a computer aided simulation is conducted to optimize the weight of a battery pack assembly. A numerical model, using commercially available FE code Abaqus, has been developed and studied against different load cases, crush, mechanical shock, and underfloor impact. The acceptance criteria of each test are studied, and the integrity of the design is checked against each test. The weight of the battery pack enclosure was reduced while keeping crashworthiness intact.