SafEBat
Safety Applications for Batteries in Electric Vehicles
Project partners: Havel metal foam GmbH (HMF), Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU) – as a member of the Fraunhofer Project Center Wolfsburg – and the Swedish partners RISE SICOMP and AP&T
Fig: Simulation result of the EURO NCAP pole impact test for a battery housing in aluminum-SMC hybrid construction. (Fraunhofer Project Center Wolfsburg | Rico Schmerler)
In a two-year international research project, the companies and the research partner want to develop a battery housing that ensures greater safety and is manufactured more economically in a shortened process route than current solutions.
Functional integration and lightweight construction are important aspects for the development of modern electric vehicles. The conception and design of multifunctional assemblies for the battery box of the future is one of the challenges of electromobility.
The housing has to fulfill many tasks: structural stiffening and sealing (waterproofing) as well as impact protection and heat management for the batteries.
The aim of the project is to develop a multifunctional, lightweight battery housing based on these requirements. The aim is to develop and validate suitable manufacturing technologies for efficient production. The battery frame should be designed to be rigid enough to protect the battery cells from penetrating parts (vehicle parts, stones, etc.) in the event of an accident. Thermal management will be integrated into the housing base using a combination of active and passive temperature control measures. In addition, sensors for structural and functional monitoring will be used to increase the protection of occupants and rescue workers.
Focus of the project:
Design and layout of a lightweight battery housing with a focus on safety requirements (bollard test)
Development of a new material model for metal foam-phase change material (PCM) composite
Intrusion protection through the use of metal foam and profiles
Integration of sensors for monitoring the battery housing (humidity measurement, temperature, strains)
Process development and testing for an SMC metal hybrid battery housing
Manufacturing a battery case on a 1:1 scale
Structural and thermal testing of the battery housing
