Optimised joining technologies for battery enclosures in plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles.

导读：2017年全球约生产了8000万辆乘用汽车，随着中国和印度的高速发展，到2025年可能超过1亿辆。乘用车的排放是一个重大的环境挑战，为了满足立法要求，混合动力汽车（HEV）和电池电动汽车（BEV）等替代动力系统技术的市场份额将迅速增加。到2030年，混合动力汽车和纯电动汽车的产量份额预计将分别从目前的13%增加到37%和3%到25%。电池车辆中的一个关键的安全关键部件是电池外壳。外壳必须能够抵抗碰撞和侵入，并且不得泄漏，以保护电池和乘客。研究项目概述：大批量汽车制造商专注于用于电池外壳的铝合金挤压件，因为它们提供了显著的轻量化机会，并避免了与碳纤维复合材料相关的回收问题。对于满足性能、尺寸精度和成本规格的外壳，建立合金类型和连接（焊接）技术的优化组合至关重要。复杂的多部件焊接铝合金部件的制造具有挑战性，该项目将通过使用关键的微观结构指标来帮助确定合金成分，连接技术和接头设计的最佳组合，以解决扩大到全尺寸部件的关键挑战。项目详情：与我们的工业合作伙伴Constellium（全球汽车行业高附加值铝产品和解决方案的领导者）密切合作，该项目将专注于使用先进的表征技术来收集定量微观结构信息，并建立与机械性能的联系。拉夫堡的主要活动将集中在拉夫堡材料表征中心（LMCC）和其他地方的先进技术上，以执行以下任务：研究合金成分和焊接参数的影响。这将利用LMCC中最先进的等离子体聚焦离子束显微镜对化学分布和纹理进行3D表征。应用高分辨率电子显微镜技术研究不同初始合金条件和连接后处理的焊缝不同部位的纳米级微观结构。与牛津大学的Michael Moody教授合作，进行原子探针断层扫描，在原子尺度上研究3D强化颗粒的大小，类型和分布。该项目与拉夫堡大学的“高价值制造”和“运输技术”以及“能源全球挑战”中的运输和旅行研究优先事项保持一致。它与EPSRC“制造未来”主题的材料工程和制造技术研究领域以及EPSRC“能源”主题的制造技术研究领域非常吻合。

Introduction:Around 80 million passenger cars were produced worldwide in 2017 and with the high rate of development in China and India, this is likely to exceed 100 million by 2025. Emissions from passenger vehicles represent a significant environmental challenge and to meet legislative requirements, alternative powertrain technologies such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will rapidly increase in market share. By 2030, the percentage share of the production volume of HEVs and BEVs is predicted to increase from a current level of 13% to 37% and 3% to 25%, respectively. One key, safety-critical, component in battery vehicles is the battery enclosure. The enclosure must resist crash and intrusion and must not leak to safeguard the batteries and passengers.Outline of the research project:Large volume automotive manufacturers are focused on aluminium alloy extrusions for battery enclosure as they offer significant lightweighting opportunities and avoid recycling issues associated with carbon-fibre composites. For enclosures to meet performance, dimensional accuracy and cost specifications, it is critical that optimised combinations of alloy types and joining (welding) technologies are established. Manufacture of complex, multipart welded aluminium alloy components is challenging and this project will tackle the critical challenge of upscaling to a full-sized component by using key microstructural indicators to help define the optimum combination of alloy composition, joining technology and joint design. Project details:Working closely with our industrial partner Constellium - a leader in high value-added aluminium products and solutions for the global automotive industry - the project will focus on the use of advanced characterisation techniques to collect quantitative microstructural information and establish links to mechanical performance. The main activities at Loughborough will concentrate on advanced techniques available in the Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre (LMCC) and elsewhere to perform the following:Investigate the effect of alloy composition and weld parameters. This will take advantage of a new state-of-the-art plasma-focussed ion beam microscope in the LMCC to perform 3D characterisation of chemical distribution and texture. Apply high-resolution electron microscopy techniques to study microstructure at the nano-scale in different parts of the weld with varying initial alloy conditions and post-joining treatments. In collaboration with Professor Michael Moody at the University of Oxford, perform atom probe tomography to investigate the size, type and distribution of the strengthening particles in 3D at the atomic scale. The proposed project aligns with the Loughborough University Beacons: "High Value Manufacture" and "Transport Technologies" as well as the Transport and Travel research priority in the "Energy Global Challenge". It fits well with the Materials Engineering and the Manufacturing Technologies research areas of the EPSRC "Manufacturing the Future" theme and the Manufacturing Technologies research area of the EPSRC "Energy" theme.