WELDING PROCESS FOR A BATTERY MODULE

• US 20160193694A1
• Filed: 02/25/2015
• Published: 07/07/2016
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 10,195,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 the laser beam along a first axis and a 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 actuator comprises a mirror and is configured to move the laser beam along the first axis and the second axis by adjusting an angle of the mirror.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to move the laser beam along the first axis and the second axis by rotating the laser in a pendulous motion about the first axis and the second axis.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to move the laser beam along the first axis and the second axis by moving the laser source along the first axis and the second axis.

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

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

9. 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 size between 0.01 and 20 millimeters (“

mm”

).

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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)

13. The system of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of the sinusoidal lap weld is between 0.95 and 1.05 times an amplitude of the sinusoidal lap weld.

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

N”

).

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

μ

m”

).

16. 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 beam along a first axis, a second axis, or both the first and second axes;

a second actuator configured to move a workpiece along the first axis, the second axis, or both the first and second axes, 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, the second actuator, or any combination thereof, wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the laser source, the first actuator, the second actuator or any combination thereof, 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.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second actuator comprises a conveyor or a robotic actuator.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first actuator is configured to move the laser back and forth along the first axis and the second actuator is configured to move the workpiece along the second axis.

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

20. A method for welding two components in a battery module, comprising:

directing a laser beam from a laser source to a first surface of a first conductive component of the battery module disposed opposite a second surface of the first conductive component, wherein the second surface is disposed against a third surface of a second conductive component of the battery module; and

moving the laser beam, via an actuator, in an oscillating pattern along the first surface of the first conductive component to weld the first conductive component to the second conductive component.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first conductive component and the secnod conductive component comprise copper.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the laser beam moves along the first surface at a rate of between 50 and 150 millimeters per second (mm/sec)

23. The method of claim 20, wherein a wavelength of the oscillating pattern is between 0.95 and 1.05 times an amplitude of the oscillating pattern.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the actuator comprises a mirror and the actutor is configured to move the laser beam by adjusting an angle of the mirror.

25. A battery module, comprising:

a housing;

a lithium ion battery cell disposed in the housing;

a battery module terminal electrically coupled to the lithium ion battery cell via an electrical pathway, wherein the battery module terminal is configured to provide an electrical output of the battery module when coupled to an electrical load, wherein the electrical pathway comprises a first conductive component and a second conductive component;

a lap weld electrically coupling the first and second conductive components to one another, wherein the lap weld is produced according to a laser welding process, wherein the laser welding process comprises;

directing a laser beam from a laser source to a first surface of the first conductive component disposed opposite a second surface of the first conductive component, wherein the second surface is disposed against a third surface of the second conductive component; and

moving the laser beam in an oscillating pattern along the first surface of the first conductive component to weld the first conductive component to the second conductive component.

26. The battery module of claim 25, wherein the lap weld is configured to withstand a force of 3000 Newtons (“

N”

).

27. The battery module of claim 25, wherein the first battery component comprises a cell terminal, a cell bus bar, cabling, a terminal bus bar, a relay bus bar, a relay connector, a relay, or a module terminal.

29. The battery module of claim 25, wherein the lap weld comprises a thickness of between 1000 and 2000 micrometers (“

μ

m”

).

28. The battery module of 25, wherein the first battery component and the second battery component comprise copper.