Method of producing a vehicle traction battery and a corresponding production device

Abstract

A method for producing a traction battery of a motor vehicle. A battery housing of the traction battery has a receiving compartment for receiving a cell module. It is thus provided that the receiving compartment is delimited by a bottom and walls adjoining said bottom, A topography of the bottom is recorded by measuring technology, a thermal-conductor amount determined by the topography is applied locally to the bottom, whereupon the cell module is inserted into the receiving compartment.

Claims

1. A method for producing a traction battery of a motor vehicle, the method comprising: receiving a cell module to be inserted into a receiving compartment of a battery housing, wherein the receiving compartment is delimited by a bottom and walls adjoining the bottom, recording a topography of the bottom using an optical measuring device, calculating an amount of thermal conductor to apply, wherein the amount of thermal conductor is determined by the topography, and after determining an amount of thermal conductor to apply, subsequently applying the thermal conductor at the determined amount of thermal conductor, and inserting the cell module into the receiving compartment, wherein the topography is recorded relative to an imaginary bottom center plane, wherein the amount to be applied locally is calculated based on a distance between a local bottom position derived from the recorded topography and the imaginary bottom center plane.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a camera is used as the optical measuring device.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: dividing the bottom into several bottom areas, and for each of the bottom areas, separately calculating the amount to be applied locally, whereby the same imaginary center plane is used for the bottom areas.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conductor is applied by an application device moving at a certain speed over the bottom, wherein a thermal conductor throughput of the application device is set, such that the amount of thermal conductor determined by the topography is applied to the bottom.

5. The method according claim 4, wherein the certain speed is used for the several bottom areas, and the thermal-conductor throughput for each of the receiving compartments is calculated and set separately based on the amount of thermal conductor determined by the topography, or wherein the same thermal-conductor throughput is used for the several bottom areas, and the speed for each of the receiving compartments is calculated and set separately from the amount of thermal conductor determined by the topography.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conductor throughput is set higher at the beginning and the end of the application than between these two end points.

7. A production device for producing a traction battery of a motor vehicle, in particular for carrying out the method according to claim 1, wherein a battery housing of the traction battery has a receiving compartment for receiving a cell module, wherein the receiving compartment is delimited by a bottom and walls adjoining the bottom, wherein the production device is provided and designed to record a topography of the bottom by measuring technology in order to apply an amount of thermal conductor, as determined by the topography, locally on the bottom, and subsequently insert the cell module into the receiving compartment.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the thermal conductor is applied by an application device moving at a certain speed over the bottom, wherein a thermal conductor throughput of the application device is set, such that the amount of thermal conductor determined by the topography is applied to the bottom.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the thermal conductor is applied by an application device moving at a certain speed over the bottom, wherein a thermal conductor throughput of the application device is set, such that the amount of thermal conductor determined by the topography is applied to the bottom.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the thermal conductor throughput is set higher at the beginning and the end of the application than between these two end points.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

(1) The disclosure will be explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing, without limiting the disclosure. The single FIGURE is a schematic diagram of a device for producing a traction battery, as well as a part of the traction battery.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a manufacturing device for manufacturing a traction battery and part of the traction battery.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a device 1 for producing a traction battery 2, as well as a part of the traction battery 2. More specifically, only a measuring device 3 of the production device 1 and only a battery housing 4 of the traction battery 2 are shown. The battery housing 4 has at least one compartment 5 for receiving a cell module not shown here. Receiving compartment 5 is delimited downward by a bottom 6 and laterally by the walls 7. Contact areas 8 are formed on the walls 7, at which the cell module is supported according to its arrangement in the receiving compartment 5. The contact areas 8 are spaced apart from the bottom 6, such that the cell module is spaced apart from the bottom 6, when supported by the contact areas 8.

(4) During the production of the traction battery 2, it is now provided to measure a topography of the bottom 6, i.e., using measuring device 3. For this purpose, measuring device 3 preferably has a camera, in particular a 3D camera. The topography of the bottom 6 is shown by way of example and sectionally enlarged. It can be seen that due to a production tolerance of the bottom 6, local deviations of the bottom 6 occur from an imaginary center plane 9. It is now provided to divide bottom 6 into several bottom areas 10, and for each of the bottom areas 10, to record separately a deviation of bottom 6 from the center plane 9. The result is a mean distance for each of the bottom areas 10 from the center plane 9, which is indicated here by arrows 11 by way of example.

(5) For each of the bottom areas 10, an amount of thermal conductor is then calculated based on the topography or the respective distances, which is to be applied locally on the bottom 6 in the corresponding bottom area 10 to compensate for the production tolerances of bottom 6, at least on average. In particular, more thermal conductor is applied in bottom area 10, in which a mean height of bottom 6 is below the center plane 9, than in bottom area 10, where this is not the case, or in which the mean height is above the center plane 9. After determining the required amount of thermal conductor, the thermal conductor is applied to bottom 6, i.e., the amount required in each of the bottom areas 10. This is done with the aid of an application device, not shown here.

(6) With the described procedure, a significant reduction of the required amount of thermal conductor is achieved, in that the application of the thermal conductor is done according as needed and depending on the production tolerance of the bottom 6. This leads to an overall improvement in the production process, in that a lower contact pressure is needed in order to insert the cell module into the receiving compartment 5, than was previously the case. Moreover, the costs of traction battery 2 are reduced due to the lower amount of thermal conductor.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

(7) 1 Production facility

(8) 2 Traction battery

(9) 3 Measuring device

(10) 4 Battery housing

(11) 5 Receiving compartment

(12) 6 Bottom

(13) 7 Wall

(14) 8 contact area

(15) 9 Center plane

(16) 10 bottom area

(17) 11 Pillar