Pressure control of battery cells

A method of controlling a pressure of a battery cell, comprising:

• receiving an expansion force at a pressure plate disposed at an initial position relative to the battery cell, the battery cell disposed in a housing, the pressure plate and the housing defining an enclosure, the expansion force resulting from an increase in an internal pressure of the battery cell;
• and
• managing a pressure of the battery cell by a pressure management system including a mechanical linkage attached to the pressure plate, the mechanical linkage connected to a rotatable component, wherein managing the pressure includes:
• translating the expansion force to a reverse force based on lateral movement of the mechanical linkage, the reverse force configured to oppose the expansion force;
• and
• based on the expansion force exceeding a threshold force, causing the mechanical linkage to move laterally and rotate the rotatable component from a first orientation to a second orientation to allow the pressure plate to move and increase a volume of the enclosure.

A vehicle system comprising:

• a battery system connected to an electric motor of a vehicle, the battery system including a battery cell disposed in a housing;
• and
• a pressure management system including:
• a pressure plate disposed at an initial position relative to a battery cell, the battery cell disposed in a housing, the pressure plate and the housing defining an enclosure, wherein an increase in an internal pressure of the battery cell causes an expansion force to be applied to the pressure plate;
• a mechanical linkage attached to the pressure plate, the mechanical linkage configured to translate the expansion force to a reverse force that is opposed to the expansion force;
• and
• a rotatable component connected to the mechanical linkage, the rotatable component configured to rotate from a first orientation to a second orientation based on lateral movement of the mechanical linkage to allow the pressure plate to move and increase a volume of the enclosure.