Mechanical safety prediction of a battery-pack system under low speed frontal impact via machine learning

Abstract

In response to nonrenewable energy consumption and environmental pollution, the development of electric vehicles has accelerated. The safety of electric vehicles has garnered considerable attention. There are numerous incalculable foreign objects on the road that may collide with or scratch the battery-pack’s frontal, resulting in battery-pack system damage or even explosion. This poses a significant risk to the safety of passengers and drivers. In this paper, a diversity of mechanical safety prediction models for battery-pack systems are proposed. These models support data-driven structural optimization of the battery-pack system by utilizing the numerical results of the bottom shell deformation. These simulation-based prediction models combine response surface method and machine learning algorithms. First, a nonlinear finite element model of the battery-pack system is established. The efficacy of the model is verified using constrained modal analysis in a variety of commercial software packages. Second, the collision simulations are executed and the data in various collision conditions are collected. Different sample sizes are used to develop various response surface models and machine learning models. The machine learning algorithms adopt support vector machine, Gaussian process regression, and neural network models. Third, the prediction accuracy of multiple prediction models is investigated according to error functions. The results show that the neural network model can predict the most accurate deformation under the condition of low speed frontal impact. The prediction average absolute percentage error of the neural network model is only 0.34% within the design domain, and only 2.54% outside the design domain. The proposed prediction model can be used for reliable design of the battery-pack system in electric vehicles. It also can be employed to design the early warning system of the battery-packs.