Mitsubishi Chemical Group
Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) exhibited its newest innovation in the form of an electric vehicle battery all-composite enclosure at The Battery Show.
The partnered collaboration features Mitsubishi Chemical Group with a diverse fiber-reinforced composite material portfolio for advanced energy storage systems, EDAG contributing its key engineering services to the mobility sector, and Kreisel Electric, specialized in designing and manufacturing battery storage systems. The latest design overcomes many concerns surrounding traditional electric vehicle (EV) battery enclosures. Typically, these are produced from heavy metallic profiles which can have a negative impact on overall weight and vehicle performance.
By switching to composite materials, this battery concept can meet the requirements for battery housings for electric vehicles, while at the same time, being significantly lighter in weight.
“This is an exciting breakthrough that can make a real difference to the electric vehicle market, which is growing quickly as more people move to EVs,” says John Conn, Engineering Project Manager at Mitsubishi Chemical Group. “In addition to being extremely lightweight, the functional composite structure offers robust performance, high safety levels, and strong durability.”
Another key feature is that the composite enclosure is a simpler system with just two parts, compared to the initial EDAG design based on a metal housing comprised of five parts. This demonstrates the ability of composites to consolidate parts resulting in simplified downstream processes and cost savings. In addition, some components are recyclable and can include the use of recycled content, making for a product with high circular economy credentials.
Various MCG composite materials were incorporated within the battery enclosure, including a flame-retardant fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material for the Top Cover that can withstand high-intensity thermal runaway events. The enclosure also incorporates an additional layer of insulative material (MAFTEC) produced from alumina fibers to further protect the battery cover. The Bottom Tray was developed using two different materials, Prepreg Sandwich and CF FMC (Forged Molding Compound), produced using an innovative single process step to meet thermal, geometric, and structural requirements. In addition, MCG fabricated its own tooling and produced the assembly in-house, demonstrating an agile, vertically integrated value chain that can be adjusted to meet OEM requirements to create bespoke solutions.
Designed by engineering service provider EDAG, the lightweight enclosure has been developed in collaboration with battery system manufacturer Kreisel Electric using its patented immersion cooling technology.
“One of the greatest concerns with electric vehicles in their current makeup is weight, by being able to reduce weight with a lighter battery enclosure, we’re helping to make the transition to EVs, and thus a more sustainable planet, more viable,” says Marcel Remp, Mobility Marketing Manager at Mitsubishi Chemical Group.