Laser welding system for a battery module

• US 10,195,688 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Dinkelman, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Geoffrey S
• Application Number:
  US14/631,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20160193694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0626 Energy control of the laser beam B23K26/0622 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/082 Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0876 in at least two axial directions
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/21 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/244 Overlap seam welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/32 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/516 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/562 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to a welding process for a battery module. In an embodiment, a system for welding two components in a battery module includes a laser source configured to emit a laser beam onto a workpiece having a first battery module component and a second battery module component. The system also has an actuator coupled to the laser source and configured to move the laser beam along a first axis and a second axis and a controller electrically coupled to the laser source and the actuator. The controller is configured to send a signal to the laser source and the actuator to form a sinusoidal lap weld on a surface of the workpiece, such that the first battery module component is electrically coupled to the second battery module component.

Claims

1. A system for welding two components in a battery module, comprising:

a laser source configured to emit a laser beam onto a workpiece comprising a first battery module component and a second battery module component;

an actuator coupled to the laser source and configured to move both the laser source and the laser beam along a first axis and a second axis, wherein the actuator is configured to move both the laser source and the laser beam in a pendulous motion about the first axis, and move both the laser source and the laser beam in a pendulous motion about the second axis; and

a controller electrically coupled to the laser source and the actuator, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the laser source and the actuator to form a sinusoidal lap weld on a surface of the workpiece, such that the first battery module component is electrically coupled to the second battery module component.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising the first battery module component and the second battery module component being copper components.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a power of the laser beam when the laser beam moves along the first axis, the second axis, or both.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser source is configured to emit the laser beam as a continuous wave.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser source is configured to emit the laser beam as a pulsed emission.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser source comprises a power density between 0.1 and 30 Megawatts per square centimeter (MW/cm²) and a spot diameter between 0.01 and 20 millimeters (mm).

7. The system of claim 1, comprising the surface of the workpiece being an overlapping area between the first battery component and the second battery component.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising the first battery component and the second battery component being configured to establish an electrical connection between the battery module and a load.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser beam moves along the first axis at a rate of between 50 and 150 millimeters per second (mm/sec).

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of a path of the laser beam on the components that forms the sinusoidal lap weld is between 0.95 and 1.05 times an amplitude of the path of the laser beam on the components that forms the sinusoidal lap weld.

11. The system of claim 1, comprising the sinusoidal lap weld configured to withstand a force of 3000 Newtons (N).

12. The system of claim 1, comprising the sinusoidal lap weld having a thickness of between 1000 and 2000 micrometers (μ

m).

13. A system for welding two components in a battery module, comprising:

a laser source configured to emit a laser beam;

a first actuator coupled to the laser source and configured to move the laser source and the laser beam along a first axis;

a second actuator configured to move a workpiece along a second axis, crosswise to the first axis, wherein the workpiece comprises a first battery module component and a second battery module component; and

a controller electrically coupled to the laser source, the first actuator, and the second actuator, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the laser source, the first actuator, and the second actuator to form a sinusoidal lap weld on a surface of the workpiece, such that the first battery module component is electrically coupled to the second battery module component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second actuator comprises a conveyor or a robotic actuator.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first actuator is configured to move the laser source back and forth along the first axis and the second actuator is configured to move the workpiece along the second axis.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first battery module component and the second battery module component comprise copper.