Stress characterization for friction-stir-welded electric vehicle battery trays with application of neutron diffraction

Nicholas Sabry, Joshua Stroh, Dimitry Sediako, Glenn Byczynski, Anthony Lombardi, Andrew Payzant

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The battery tray is an essential component that protects and controls battery-cell temperatures in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The functional stress limit of the battery tray heavily depends on the residual stress acquired from the manufacturing process. Consequently, exceeding the stress limit of the battery tray during operation could compromise the battery-cell banks and may risk the vehicle's safety. Hence, understanding residual stress formation is vital for design and safety concerns. In the current study, AA 6061-plates were friction stir welded to an A365 high-pressure die-cast battery tray to create sealed coolant channels in the battery tray. However, this multi-material lap friction stir weld introduces residual stress into the battery tray, resulting in distortion. This distortion was mitigated using burnishing or coining operations, though straightening the battery tray had initially unknown effects on the residual stress. Therefore, neutron diffraction was utilized to characterize residual stresses after straightening. The results indicate that the friction stir welding (FSW) operation generated residual stresses exceeding the yield strength of the material, consequently deforming the battery tray by ±3 mm from the pre-weld geometry. The burnishing operation reduced the residual stresses below the material's yield strength while restoring the tray to within ±0.75 mm of the pre-weld geometry. Similarly, the coining operation restored the battery tray to within ±0.75 mm of the pre-weld geometry, however, increasing the number of locations where the residual stress exceeds the yield strength of the material.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1109-1123
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Manufacturing Processes
Volume101
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 8 2023

Funding

This research was made possible in part due to the financial support of Nemak Canada . Additionally, a portion of this research used the expertise of Dr. Jeff Bunn and Paris Cornwell, which assisted with the experiment at the High Flux Isotope Reactor in the DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This research was made possible in part due to the financial support of Nemak Canada. Additionally, a portion of this research used the expertise of Dr. Jeff Bunn and Paris Cornwell, which assisted with the experiment at the High Flux Isotope Reactor in the DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Keywords

  • Multi friction stir welded component
  • Residual stress
  • Straightening

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